Molding Apparatus, Manufacturing Method for Molded Surface Fastener, and Molded Surface Fastener

ABSTRACT

Provided is a molding apparatus used for manufacturing a molded surface fastener wherein a die wheel driving rotationally has a concentric double cylinder structure provided with an outer side cylindrical body that has provided therethrough a plurality of penetrating holes, and an inner side cylindrical body that has formed, in the outer peripheral surface thereof, a plurality of grooved portions, the grooved portions located in the inner side cylindrical body include a use grooved portion that intersects with the penetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body and a non-use grooved portion that is covered by the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body. By using this molding apparatus obtained is a molded surface fastener in which a plurality of types of engaging elements having different shapes in a plan view are arranged cyclically in a reference direction.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a molding apparatus used for manufacturing amolded surface fastener, a manufacturing method for manufacturing themolded surface fastener using the molding apparatus and a molded surfacefastener manufactured using the molding apparatus.

Background Art

Conventionally, surface fastener products used by combining a femalesurface fastener having a plurality of loops and a male molded surfacefastener capable of engaging and disengaging with the female surfacefastener as a pair are known. Generally, a male molded surface fastenermanufactured by molding synthetic resin is formed such that a pluralityof male engaging elements having a mushroom shape and the like stand onan upper surface of a plate-shaped base portion. The mushroom-shapedengaging element generally has a stem portion standing up from the baseportion and having a column shape and an engaging head portion bulgingoutward from an outer periphery part of an upper end of the stemportion.

Presently, surface fastener products having such a male surface fastenerare widely used in a various kinds of goods. For example, it is oftenused for goods to be put on and taken off from a body such as adisposable diaper, a diaper cover for babies and infants, a supporterprotecting joints of arms and legs, a corset for waist (belt forbackache) and gloves.

In a conventional male molded surface fastener having a mushroom-shapedengaging element, for example, a plurality of the engaging elementsstanding on one base portion are formed in the same shape. Since theplurality of the engaging elements have the same shape, an appropriateengaging strength (or peeling strength) to a predetermined femalesurface fastener can be stably obtained.

A manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing asurface fastener having such a plurality of mushroom-shaped maleengaging elements are disclosed in WO 2000/000053A1 (Patent Document 1:corresponding to JP2002-519078 A) and the like.

For example, in the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1,firstly, a primary molding step for molding a primary molded body 110having a flat plate-shaped base portion, a stem portion standing on thebase portion and a primary head portion formed integrally on the stemportion is conducted, as shown in FIG. 39. Thereafter, a secondarymolding step for extending the primary head portion flatly in a radialdirection by making the primary molded body 110 pass through a calenderand pressing the primary head portion of the primary molded body 110 tomold an engaging head portion is conducted.

In this case, a molding apparatus 111 for the above-mentioned primarymolding has a rotating molding cylinder 112, a press cylinder 113disposed opposing to the molding cylinder 112 with a predeterminedinterval and an extrusion head 114 supplying a molten thermoplasticresin between the molding cylinder 112 and the press cylinder 113.

Further, the molding cylinder 112 in Patent Document 1 has acylinder-shaped outside screen (also referred to as an outer sidecylindrical body) 115 and a cylinder-shaped inside screen (also referredto as an inner side cylindrical body) 116 contacting with an innerperipheral surface of the outside screen 115 as shown in FIGS. 40 and41.

A plurality of column-shaped hollows 117 molding the stem portions areformed on the outside screen 115 of the molding cylinder 112. Aplurality of column-shaped hollows 118 molding the primary head portionsare formed on the inside screen 116. Each hollow 117 on the outsidescreen 115 and each hollow 118 on the inside screen 116 are disposedaligning at a position corresponding to each other.

By using the molding apparatus 111 having such a molding cylinder 112,the thermoplastic resin material is supplied from the extrusion head 114between the molding cylinder 112 and the press cylinder 113 while themolding cylinder 112 and the press cylinder 113 are rotated, thereby theprimary molded body 110 in which a plurality of engaging elements eachhaving a stem portion and a primary head portion on which a depressionis formed stand on the base portion is molded.

Thereafter, the obtained primary molded body 110 is passed through thecalender and each primary head portion is made to be thin, thereby themolded surface fastener of Patent Document 1 in which a plurality ofmushroom-shaped engaging elements having the same shape stand on thebase portion is manufactured. In the molded surface fastenermanufactured in Patent Document 1, a grooved portion is formed on acenter part of an upper surface on the engaging head portion of eachengaging element, and each engaging element has the same shape.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: WO 2000/000053 A1

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

When a molded surface fastener is manufactured by the manufacturingmethod of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the molding cylinder112 having the outside screen 115 on which a plurality ofcylinder-shaped hollows 117 are formed and the inside screen 116 onwhich a plurality of column-shaped hollows 118 are formed is used. Inthis case, for forming respective engaging elements disposed on themolded surface fastener to be the same predetermined shape, it isrequired that each hollow 117 of the outside screen 115 and each hollow118 of the inside screen 116 in the molding cylinder 112 are formed atpredetermined positions precisely to correspond to each other.

However, when the outside screen 115 and the inside screen 116 as inPatent Document 1 are formed, each of the outside screen 15 and theinside screen 116 are separately produced. In this case, an error tendsto occur in a position of the hollow 117 provided on the outside screen115 and in a position of the hollow 118 provided on the inside screen116 respectively, and it is difficult to adjust all the positions of thehollows 117 of the outside screen 115 and all the positions of thehollows 118 of the inside screen 116 without fail. Therefore, thepositions of the hollows 117 of the outside screen 115 and the positionsof the hollows 118 of the inside screen 116 tends to be relativelydisplaced.

Therefore, a part of the molded engaging elements may have a shapedisable to engage with a loop, or an undercut may be formed between theoutside screen 115 and the inside screen 116, and the engaging elementmay be damaged when an engaging element is forcibly peeled off from thehollows 118, 117 of the inside and outside screens 116, 115, thereby allthe engaging elements are not formed in a predetermined constant shape.As a result, the engaging strength (or peeling strength) of themanufactured molded surface fastener may be lowered, or the moldedsurface fastener may be treated as a defective product, which leads to alowered yield. Further, it is also considered that when the molding diesuch as the outside screen 115 and the inside screen 116 is reproduced,the produced molding die is required to show high reproducibility, or itbecomes difficult to control a shape of the engaging elements.

On the other hand, in order to form all the hollows 117 of the outsidescreen 115 at predetermined positions and form all the hollows 118 ofthe inside screen 116 at predetermined positions, it is considered tosignificantly enhance a processing accuracy at the time of processingthe outside screen 115 and the inside screen 116. However, it requires acost to improve the processing accuracy of the outside screen 115 andthe inside screen 116, which leads to an increased manufacturing costwith the increased processing accuracy.

Generally, for a male surface fastener, an engaging rate and a peelingstrength of loops of a non-woven fabric as a female surface fastener aretend to change depending of its structure, and performance of the malesurface fastener may be changed depending on a combination with thenon-woven fabric in some cases. Therefore, when the male molded surfacefastener is used for a product such as a disposable diaper and aprotective supporter, it is required that an appropriate male surfacefastener is selected in view of a combination with a female surfacefastener used in the product.

In this case, however, a use purpose of the male surface fastener isrestricted, or a cost of the final product is increased in some cases.Therefore, it has been conventionally required to develop a male surfacefastener which can stably exert an appropriate engaging strength and thelike to the various kinds of female surface fasteners.

The present invention was made in light of the above-mentionedconventional problems. Its specific objective is to provide a moldingapparatus used for molding a molded surface fastener and having a diewheel of a double cylinder structure provided with an outer sidecylindrical body and an inner side cylindrical body, the moldingapparatus capable of manufacturing the molded surface fastener stablyexerting an appropriate performance to the various kinds of femalemolded surface fasteners without heavily depending on a processingaccuracy of the outer side cylindrical body and the inner sidecylindrical body, and a manufacturing method for manufacturing themolded surface fastener using the molding apparatus. Another objectiveis to provide the molded surface fastener capable of stably exerting anappropriate performance to various kinds of female surface fastenerswithout heavily depending on the processing accuracy of the outer sidecylindrical body and the inner side cylindrical body.

Means for Solving the Problem

To achieve the above objective, the molding apparatus provided by thepresent invention has, as a basic structure, a die wheel drivingrotationally in one direction and an extrusion nozzle discharging amolten synthetic resin material toward the die wheel, and is used formanufacturing a synthetic resin molded surface fastener on which aplurality of engaging elements stand on an upper surface of a baseportion, in which the die wheel has a concentric double cylinderstructure provided with an outer side cylindrical body and an inner sidecylindrical body disposed in close contact with an inner peripheralsurface of the outer side cylindrical body, a plurality of penetratingholes penetrating the outer side cylindrical body from an outerperipheral surface to the inner peripheral surface are provided, aplurality of grooved portions are grooved on an outer peripheral surfaceof the inner side cylindrical body, more grooved portions of the innerside cylindrical body are provided than the penetrating holes of theouter side cylindrical body in a certain region in a referencedirection, when at least one direction is determined as the referencedirection, an outer peripheral edge of each penetrating hole on theinner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body has a partoverlapping the grooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body and apart in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the innerside cylindrical body, and the grooved portions disposed on the innerside cylindrical body include a use grooved portion disposedintersecting with the penetrating holes on the outer side cylindricalbody and to which the molten synthetic resin material can be flowed anda non-use grooved portion disposed between the penetrating holesadjacent to each other in the outer side cylindrical body and covered bythe inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body.

In such a molding apparatus of the present invention, it is preferablethat a plurality of the penetrating holes are provided on the outer sidecylindrical body to have a constant penetrating hole pitch in thereference direction, a plurality of the grooved portions are provided onthe inner cylindrical body to have a constant grooved portion pitch inthe reference direction, and a size of the grooved portion pitch issmaller than a size of the penetrating hole pitch.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention, it is preferablethat, as the penetrating holes disposed in the reference direction ofthe outer side cylindrical body, at least two kinds of the penetratingholes having different position relations of the use grooved portionswith respect to the penetrating holes are included, and the same kind ofthe penetrating holes having the same position relation of the usegrooved portions with respect to the penetrating holes are disposed at aconstant cycle along the reference direction.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention, it is also preferablethat the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body and thegrooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are disposed so thatthe least common multiple between the size of the penetrating hole pitchand the size of the grooved portion pitch is larger than the size of thepenetrating hole pitch.

In this case, it is preferable that a value calculated by dividing theleast common multiple by the size of the penetrating hole pitch is lessthan 40.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable thatthe size of the grooved portion pitch is smaller than the size in thereference direction of the penetrating hole of the outer sidecylindrical body.

Further in the molding apparatus of the present invention, it ispreferable that the penetrating holes disposed adjacent to each other inthe reference direction are provided to have different positionrelations of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetratingholes from each other.

Particularly, it is preferable that the reference direction is a machinedirection of the die wheel.

Next, a manufacturing method of a molded surface fastener provided bythe present invention is, as a basic structure, the manufacturing methodof a synthetic resin molded surface fastener in which a plurality ofengaging elements stand on an upper surface of a base portion by moldingusing a molding apparatus having a die wheel driving rotationally in onedirection and an extrusion nozzle discharging a molten synthetic resinmaterial toward the die wheel, in which the die wheel has a concentricdouble cylinder structure provided with an outer side cylindrical bodyand an inner side cylindrical body disposed in close contact with aninner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body, in which,the method includes using the die wheel in which a plurality ofpenetrating holes penetrating from an outer peripheral surface to theinner peripheral surface are provided, a plurality of grooved portionsare grooved on an outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindricalbody, more grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body areprovided than the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical bodyin a certain region in a reference direction when at least one directionis defined as the reference direction, an outer peripheral edge of eachpenetrating hole on the inner peripheral surface of the outer sidecylindrical body has a part overlapping the grooved portion of the innerside cylindrical body and a part in close contact with the outerperipheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, and the groovedportions disposed in the inner side cylindrical body, a use groovedportions disposed to intersect with the penetrating holes on the outerside cylindrical body and to which the molten synthetic resin materialcan be flowed, and a non-use grooved portion disposed between thepenetrating holes adjacent to each other on the outer side cylindricalbody and covered by the inner peripheral surface of the outer sidecylindrical body.

A manufacturing method of a molded surface fastener according to anotherembodiment provided by the present invention is the manufacturing methodfor manufacturing the molded surface fastener by conducting a primarymolding step of molding a primary molded body on which a plurality ofprovisional engaging elements stand on an upper surface of a baseportion using a molding apparatus having a die wheel drivingrotationally in one direction and an extrusion nozzle discharging amolten synthetic resin material toward the die wheel, in which the diewheel has a concentric double cylinder structure provided with an outerside cylindrical body and an inner side cylindrical body disposed inclose contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer sidecylindrical body, and a secondary molding step of heating a part of eachprovisional element of the primary molded body and compressing it fromabove at the same time, in which, the method includes using the diewheel in which a plurality of penetrating holes penetrating from anouter peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface are provided, aplurality of grooved portions are grooved on an outer peripheral surfaceof the inner side cylindrical body, more grooved portions of the innerside cylindrical body are provided than the penetrating holes of theouter side cylindrical body in a certain region in a reference directionwhen at least one direction is defined as the reference direction, anouter peripheral edge of each penetrating hole on the inner peripheralsurface of the outer side cylindrical body has a part overlapping thegrooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body and a part in closecontact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindricalbody, and the grooved portions disposed in the inner side cylindricalbody, a use grooved portions disposed to intersect with the penetratingholes on the outer side cylindrical body and to which the moltensynthetic resin material can be flowed, and a non-use grooved portiondisposed between the penetrating holes adjacent to each other on theouter side cylindrical body and covered by the inner peripheral surfaceof the outer side cylindrical body.

In such a manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener as aboveaccording to the present invention, it is preferable that the methodincludes using the die wheel that a plurality of the penetrating holesare provided on the outer side cylindrical body to have a constantpenetrating hole pitch in the reference direction, a plurality of thegrooved portions are provided on the inner side cylindrical body to havea constant grooved portion pitch in the reference direction, and a sizeof the grooved portion pitch is smaller than a size of the penetratinghole pitch.

In the manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according tothe present invention, it is preferable that the method includes usingthe die wheel that, as the penetrating holes disposed in the referencedirection of the outer side cylindrical body, at least two kinds of thepenetrating holes having different position relations of the use groovedportions with respect to the penetrating holes are included, and thesame kind of the penetrating holes having the same position relation ofthe use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating holes aredisposed at a constant cycle along the reference direction.

In the manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according tothe present invention, it is also preferable that the method includesusing the die wheel that the penetrating holes of the outer sidecylindrical body and the grooved portions of the inner side cylindricalbody are disposed so that the least common multiple of the size of thepenetrating hole pitch and the size of the grooved portion pitch islarger than the size of the penetrating hole pitch.

Next, a molded surface fastener provided by the present invention is asynthetic resin molded surface fastener including a flat plate-shapedbase portion and a plurality of engaging elements standing on an uppersurface of the base portion, in which, when at least one direction isdetermined as a reference direction, the engaging elements are disposedto have constant pitches along the reference direction, each engagingelement has a stem portion standing up from the upper surface of thebase portion and at least one pawl portion protruded outward from anupper end outer peripheral edge of the stem portion in a plan view ofthe engaging element or an extended portion extending outward from theouter peripheral edge of the upper end of the stem portion outward inthe plan view, a plurality of the engaging elements disposed along thereference direction include at least two kinds of the engaging elementshaving different shapes from each other in the plan view of the engagingelement, and the same kind of the engaging elements having the sameshape in the plan view of the engaging element are disposed along thereference direction at constant cycles.

Further, a molded surface fastener according to another embodimentprovided by the present invention is a synthetic resin molded surfacefastener including a flat plate-shaped base portion and a plurality ofengaging elements standing on an upper surface of the base portion, inwhich the engaging elements are, when at least one direction isdetermined as a reference direction, disposed along the referencedirection to have constant pitches, each engaging element has a stemportion standing up from the base portion, an engaging head portionbulging outward from an upper end outer peripheral part of the stemportion and formed integrally with the stem portion, and at least onepawl portion protruded outward from an outer peripheral edge part of theengaging head portion or an extended portion extending outward from theouter peripheral edge of the engaging head portion, a plurality of theengaging elements disposed along the reference direction include atleast two kinds of the engaging elements having different shapes fromeach other in a plan view of the engaging elements, and the same kind ofthe engaging elements having the same shape in the plan view of theengaging element are disposed along the reference direction at aconstant cycle.

In the molded surface fastener as above according to the presentinvention, it is preferable that in the constant cycles in the referencedirection, at least one engaging element having the pawl portion isdisposed.

In the molded surface fastener according to the present invention, it ispreferable that the number of the engaging elements forming the cycle inthe reference direction is less than 40.

Further, in the molded surface fastener according to the presentinvention, it is preferable that, in at least a part of the engagingelements, the engaging elements adjacent in the reference direction areformed to have different shapes in a plan view of the engaging elements.

Further in a plan view of the engaging element in the present invention,it is preferable that when each engaging element is viewed separately toa first end part area including an end part on one side in the referencedirection, a center area including a center part of the referencedirection and a second end part area including an end part on the otherside in the reference direction; the engaging element has a first shapeelement in which two pawl portions are disposed in the center area perone engaging element, a second shape element in which two pawl portionsare disposed at the first end part area or the second end part area perone engaging element, and a third shape element in which four pawlportions are disposed or the extended portion is disposed per oneengaging element; and in each cycle, the first shape element, the secondshape element and the third shape element are disposed at apredetermined placement pattern.

In the molded surface fastener according to the present invention, it ispreferable that a shape of the engaging element in a plan view ischanged step by step along the reference direction.

Further, it is preferable that the reference direction is a lengthdirection of the base portion.

Furthermore, in the molded surface fastener according to the presentinvention, it is preferable that the same kind of the engaging elementshaving the same shape in a plan view of the engaging element aredisposed along a direction perpendicular to the reference direction.

Effects of the Invention

The molding apparatus used for manufacturing the molded surface fasteneraccording to the present invention has a die wheel driving rotationallyin one direction and an extrusion nozzle supplying a molten syntheticresin material. The die wheel is provided with an outer side cylindricalbody and an inner side cylindrical body disposed in close contact withan inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body, and hasa concentric double cylinder structure.

The outer side cylindrical body of the die wheel has a plurality ofpenetrating holes penetrating the outer side cylindrical body from anouter peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface. The inner sidecylindrical body of the die wheel has a plurality of grooved portionsgrooved on the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindricalbody. The grooved portion provided in the inner side cylindrical body ofthe present invention includes a grooved channel portion grooved in astraight line shape or a curved line shape on the outer peripheralsurface of the inner side cylindrical body, and adepressed portiongrooved on the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindricalbody with a certain region (shape). Further in the present invention, anouter peripheral edge of each penetrating hole in the inner peripheralsurface of the outer side cylindrical body has a part overlapping thegrooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body and a part in closecontact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindricalbody.

Further, the grooved portions disposed on the outer peripheral surfaceof the inner side cylindrical body include a use portion disposed to beexpressed on the penetrating hole in the outer side cylindrical body andto which the molten synthetic resin material can be flowed, and anon-use grooved portion disposed in an area between the penetratingholes adjacent to each other in the reference direction of the outerside cylindrical body and covered by the inner peripheral surface of theouter side cylindrical body.

By using the above-mentioned molding apparatus of the present invention,the molded surface fastener in which a plurality of the engagingelements stand on the upper surface of the plate-shaped base portion,and each engaging element has the stem portion formed by using thepenetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body and at least onepawl portion formed by using the grooved portion of the inner sidecylindrical body can be smoothly manufactured.

Particularly in the molding apparatus of the present invention, at leastone use grooved portion disposed to be expressed on the penetrating holeof the outer side cylindrical body and at least one non-use groovedportion forbidding inflow of the molten synthetic resin material at thetime of molding are intentionally formed as a grooved portion disposedalong the reference direction on the inner side cylindrical body.

That is, in the molding apparatus of the present invention, thepenetrating holes provided on the outer side cylindrical body and thegrooved portions provided on the inner side cylindrical body are notprovided to correspond to each other in the reference direction, but thenumber of grooved portions provided on the inner side cylindrical bodyis intentionally increased more than the number of the penetrating holesprovided on the outer side cylindrical body, and the non-use groovedportions as above are positively provided. Thereby, even when an erroroccurs in the positions of the penetrating holes provided on the outerside cylindrical body and in the positions of the grooved portionsprovided on the inner side cylindrical body, at least one groovedportion of the inner side cylindrical body is provided to intersect witheach penetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body without fail.Therefore, the molded surface fastener in which each engaging elementhas at least one pawl portion can be stably manufactured.

Further, in the molding apparatus of the present invention, thepenetrating holes provided on the outer side cylindrical body and thegrooved portions provided on the inner side cylindrical body areintentionally formed not to correspond to one to one. Thereby, as aplurality of engaging elements disposed along the reference direction ofthe molded surface fastener to be manufactured, not only one kind ofengaging elements having a predetermined constant shape (form) but alsotwo or more kinds of engaging elements having different shapes(specifically shapes having different position relations of the pawlportions in a plan view of the engaging element) can be formed.

As the engaging element disposed in the reference direction of themolded surface fastener as above, two or more kinds of engaging elementshaving different shapes are intentionally formed. Thereby, even when anerror (displacement) occurs in the positions of the penetrating holes ofthe outer side cylindrical body and the positions of the groovedportions of the inner side cylindrical body due to the processingaccuracy of the outer side cylindrical body and the inner sidecylindrical body, an influence of the error to the engaging strength(peeling strength) of the molded surface fastener can be suppressed. Asa result, the molded surface fastener stably provided with anappropriate engaging strength (peeling strength) can be manufactured.Further, lowering of yield of the molded surface fasteners can besuppressed, and productivity can be improved.

In addition, in the molded surface fastener having two or more kinds ofengaging elements to be manufactured using the molding apparatus of thepresent invention as mentioned above, strength and weakness of eachengaging element can be complemented each other between the engagingelements having different shapes. Thereby, performance of the moldedsurface fastener to be manufactured can be less affected by a type ofnon-woven fabric (female surface fastener). That is, by using themolding apparatus of the present invention, the molded surface fastenerstably provided with an appropriate fastener performance such asengaging strength can be provided.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention as above, a pluralityof penetrating holes are provided on the outer side cylindrical body tohave constant penetrating hole pitches in the reference direction. Inthe inner side cylindrical body, a plurality of grooved portions areprovided to have constant grooved portion pitches in the referencedirection. Further, a size of the grooved portion pitch of the innerside cylindrical body is smaller than a size of the penetrating holepitch of the outer side cylindrical body. Thereby, the use groovedportions and the non-use grooved portions are intentionally providedstably, and the penetrating holes provided on the outer side cylindricalbody and the grooved portions provided on the inner side cylindricalbody are stably formed intentionally not to correspond to one to one. Asa result, the molded surface fastener in which two or more kinds ofengaging elements having different shapes of the engaging elements anddifferent position relations of the pawl portions from each other in aplan view when the engaging element is viewed from above areintentionally provided, and the same kind of engaging elements havingthe same shape of the engaging elements and the same position relationsof the pawl portions are provided along the reference directioncyclically can be stably manufactured.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention, the penetrating holesdisposed in the reference direction of the outer side cylindrical bodyinclude at least two kinds of penetrating holes having differentposition relations of the use grooved portions with respect to thepenetrating holes from each other. Further, the same kind of penetratingholes having the same position relation of the use grooved portions withrespect to the penetrating holes are disposed along the referencedirection at constant cycles.

Thereby, the molded surface fastener in which two or more kinds ofengaging elements having different position relations of the pawlportions from each other are disposed along the reference direction, andthe same kind of engaging elements having the same position relation ofthe pawl portions are disposed cyclically along the reference directioncan be stably manufactured. As a result, an influence of the processingaccuracy of the outer side cylindrical body and the inner sidecylindrical body to the performance of the molded surface fastener canbe suppressed. Further, the molded surface fastener that the fastenerperformance is less affected by a type of non-woven fabric can bemanufactured. In the present invention, the position relation of thepawl portion means a relative placement of the pawl portions withrespect to the stem portion or the engaging head portion in a plan viewof the engaging element when the engaging element having at least onepawl portion at the stem portion or the engaging head portion is viewedfrom above.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention, the penetrating holeof the outer side cylindrical body and the grooved portion of the innerside cylindrical body are disposed so that the least common multiplebetween the size of the penetrating hole pitch and the size of thegrooved portion pitch is larger than the size of the penetrating holepitch. In this case, the value obtained by dividing the above leastcommon multiple by the size of the penetrating hole pitch is an integer(natural number), and the value represents the number of the penetratingholes (size of the cycle) provided in one cycle in a case that the samekind of penetrating holes are cyclically disposed in the referencedirection.

Since the least common multiple as above is larger than the size of thepenetrating hole pitch, even when an error occurs between a position ofthe penetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body and a positionof the grooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body due to theprocessing accuracy of the outer side cylindrical body and the innerside cylindrical body, the error can be made to be small to a degreethat the influence of the error to the cyclicity of the penetratingholes can be ignored. Thereby, a molded surface fastener provided withthe cyclicity to the shape of the engaging elements along the referencedirection can be stably manufactured.

In this case, the value calculated by dividing the least common multipleby the size of the penetrating hole pitch (i.e. the cycle that the samekind of penetrating holes are disposed) is less than 40, preferably 20or less, and particularly preferably 15 or less. Thereby, the moldedsurface fastener stably provided with an appropriate engaging strengthand having the fastener performance less likely to be affected by thetype of non-woven fabric can be stably manufactured.

In the molding apparatus of the present invention, the size of thegrooved portion pitch as mentioned above is smaller than a size of thepenetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body in the referencedirection. Thereby, the molded surface fastener in which each engagingelement has at least one pawl portion can be more stably manufactured.

Further in the molding apparatus of the present invention, thepenetrating holes disposed adjacent to each other in the referencedirection are provided to have position relations of the use groovedportions different from each other with respect to the penetratingholes. Thereby, in at least a part of the molded surface fastener to bemanufactured, the position relations of the pawl portions of theengaging elements adjacent to each other in the reference direction canbe different without fail, and the molded surface fastener having atleast two kinds of engaging elements in the reference direction can bestably manufactured.

Particularly, the above-mentioned reference direction is a machinedirection of the die wheel, thereby the molded surface fastener havingat least two kinds of engaging elements in the length direction of thebase portion (machine direction) can be stably manufactured.

Next, in the manufacturing method of the molded surface fasteneraccording to the present invention, the molded surface fastener ismanufactured, molding the molded surface fastener on which a pluralityof engaging elements stand on an upper surface of the base portion byusing the molding apparatus having a die wheel and an extrusion nozzleof the present invention as above. That is, the die wheel of the moldingapparatus is formed such that, in a certain region in the referencedirection, more grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body areprovided than penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body, andthe grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body include usegrooved portions in which synthetic resin material can be flowed andnon-use grooved portions covered by the outer side cylindrical body.

According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, themolded surface fastener on which a plurality of the engaging elementsstand on the upper surface of the plate-shaped base portion, and eachengaging element has a stem portion formed by using a penetrating holeof the outer side cylindrical body and at least one pawl portion formedby using the grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body can besmoothly and stably manufactured.

Also in the manufacturing method of the present invention, a moldedsurface fastener having two or more kinds of engaging elements havingdifferent position relations of pawl portions along the referencedirection in a plan view of the engaging elements can be manufactured.Thereby, as mentioned above, the influence of the processing accuracy ofthe outer side cylindrical body and the inner side cylindrical body tothe engaging strength of the molded surface fastener can be suppressed.Further, the performance of the molded surface fastener to bemanufactured can be less affected by a type of the non-woven fabric.

Next, in a manufacturing method of another embodiment of the presentinvention, a molded surface fastener is manufactured by conducting aprimary molding step of molding a primary molded body using theabove-mentioned molding apparatus of the present invention having a diewheel and an extrusion nozzle, and a secondary molding step of heating apart of a provisional element of the obtained primary molded body andcompressing it from above. That is, the die wheel of the moldingapparatus is formed so that more grooved portions of the inner sidecylindrical body are provided than the penetrating holes of the outerside cylindrical body in a certain region in the reference direction,and the grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body include ause grooved portion in which synthetic resin material can be flowed, anda non-use grooved portion covered by the outer side cylindrical body.

Also by such a manufacturing method of the present invention, the moldedsurface fastener on which a plurality of engaging elements stand on anupper surface of a plate-shaped base portion, and each engaging elementhas a stem portion formed by using the penetrating hole of the outerside cylindrical body and at least one pawl portion formed by using thegrooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body can be smoothly andstably manufactured.

In the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is alsopossible to manufacture a molded surface fastener having two or morekinds of engaging elements having different position relations of thepawl portions along the reference direction in a plan view of theengaging element. Thereby, as mentioned above, the influence of theprocessing accuracy of the outer side cylindrical body and the innerside cylindrical body to the engaging strength of the molded surfacefastener can be suppressed. Further, the performance of the moldedsurface fastener to be manufactured can be less affected by a type ofthe non-woven fabric.

In the manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener of thepresent invention as above, a die wheel of the molding apparatus onwhich a plurality of penetrating holes are provided on the outer sidecylindrical body to have constant penetrating hole pitches in thereference direction, a plurality of grooved portions are provided on theinner side cylindrical body to have constant grooved portion pitches inthe reference direction, and a size of the grooved portion pitch issmaller than a size of the penetrating hole pitch is used. Thereby, themolded surface fastener on which two or more kinds of engaging elementshaving different shapes of the engaging elements and different positionrelations of the pawl portions from each other in a plan view of theengaging element from above are disposed along the reference direction,and the same kind of engaging elements having the same shape of theengaging elements and the same position relation of the pawl portionsare cyclically disposed along the reference direction can be stablymanufactured.

In the manufacturing method of the present invention, a die wheel of themolding apparatus on which the penetrating holes disposed in thereference direction of the outer side cylindrical body include at leasttwo kinds of penetrating holes having different position relations ofthe use grooved portion with respect to the penetrating hole from eachother, and the same kind of penetrating holes having the same positionrelation of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetratinghole are disposed along the reference direction at constant cycles isused. Thereby, the molded surface fastener on which two or more kinds ofengaging elements are disposed in the reference direction and the samekind of engaging elements are cyclically disposed along the referencedirection can be stably manufactured.

Further, in the manufacturing method of the molded surface fasteneraccording to the present invention, the die wheel in which thepenetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body and the groovedportions of the inner side cylindrical body are disposed so that theleast common multiple between a size of the penetrating hole pitch and asize of the grooved portion pitch is larger than the size of thepenetrating hole pitch is used. Thereby, the molded surface fastenerprovided with cyclicity in the shapes of the engaging elements along thereference direction can be stably manufactured.

Next, in a molded surface fastener provided by the present invention,engaging elements are disposed to have constant pitches along thereference direction. Further, each engaging element has a stem portionstanding up from the upper surface of the base portion and at least onepawl portion protruded outward at a tip end part of the engaging elementor an extended portion extending outward from the whole outer peripheryof the tip end part of the engaging element. Further, a plurality of theengaging elements disposed along the reference direction include atleast two kinds of engaging elements having different shapes from eachother in a plan view of the engaging elements. Also, the same kind ofengaging elements having the same shape in a plan view of the engagingelement are disposed at constant cycles along the reference direction.In the present invention, having different shapes in a plan view of theengaging element includes a case having different shapes that theposition relations of the pawl portions with respect to the stem portionare different from each other, and a case having different shapesdepending on which the pawl portion or the extended portion is providedon the tip end part of the stem portion.

Such a molded surface fastener of the present invention can suppress theinfluence of the processing accuracy of the outer side cylindrical bodyand the inner side cylindrical body in the molding apparatus to theengaging strength of the molded surface fastener, thereby theappropriate engaging strength to the non-woven fabric can be stablyprovided. Also performance of the molded surface fastener such asengaging strength can be less affected by a type of the non-wovenfabric.

Next, in a molded surface fastener according to another embodiment ofthe present invention, engaging elements are disposed along thereference direction to have constant pitches. Each engaging element hasa stem portion standing up from an upper surface of a base portion, anengaging head portion bulging outward from an outer peripheral part ofan upper end of the stem portion, and at least one pawl portionprotruded outward from an outer peripheral edge part of the engaginghead portion or an extended portion extending outward from a whole outerperiphery of the outer peripheral edge part of the engaging headportion. Further, a plurality of the engaging elements disposed alongthe reference direction include at least two kinds of engaging elementshaving different shapes (position relations of the pawl portions withrespect to the stem portion, for example) from each other in a plan viewof the engaging element. Also the same kind of engaging elements havingthe same shape in the plan view of the engaging element are disposedalong the reference direction at constant cycles.

For such a molded surface fastener of the present invention, aninfluence of the processing accuracy of the outer side cylindrical bodyand the inner side cylindrical body in the molding apparatus to theperformance of the molded surface fastener such as engaging strength canbe suppressed. Therefore, an appropriate engaging strength with respectto a non-woven fabric can be stably provided. The performance of themolded surface fastener such as the engaging strength can also be lessaffected by a type of the non-woven fabric.

The molded surface fastener of the present invention includes the moldedsurface fastener manufactured by conducting a primary molding step ofmolding a primary molded body using the molding apparatus having a diewheel and an extrusion nozzle, and thereafter, conducting a secondarymolding step to the obtained primary molded body. In some cases of sucha molded surface fastener, the provisional element of the primary moldedbody is compressed from above under a predetermined condition in thesecondary molding step, thereby the pawl portion protruded from theouter peripheral edge part of the engaging head portion is not formedfrom a provisional pawl portion of the provisional element, but, insteadof the pawl portion, the engaging element having the extended portionformed such that the provisional pawl portion is compressed to beflattened with a part of a provisional stem portion is formed.

In the molded surface fastener of the present invention as mentionedabove, at least one engaging element having at least one pawl portion isdisposed in a constant cycle in the reference direction. Thereby, themolded surface fastener of the present invention can be provided with anappropriate engaging strength to the non-woven fabric.

In the molded surface fastener of the present invention, the number ofthe engaging elements forming a cycle in the reference direction is lessthan 40, preferably 20 or less, and particularly preferably 15 or less.Since the number of the engaging elements forming one cycle is small,even when the molded surface fastener of the present invention is cutinto a predetermined small size, and the small cut piece is attached toa final product, for example, it is possible that the cut piece of themolded surface fastener is provided with the number of the engagingelements more than the number of one cycle in the reference direction.Thereby, an appropriate engaging strength can be stably secured in anycut pieces of the molded surface fastener. Also, two or more kinds ofengaging elements are cyclically provided in any cut pieces of themolded surface fastener, thereby the fastener performance is lessaffected by a type of non-woven fabric.

Also in at least a part of the engaging elements of the molded surfacefastener in the present invention, different kinds of engaging elementshaving different shapes in a plan view of the engaging element by havingdifferent position relations of the pawl portions as the engagingelements adjacent to each other in the reference direction. Thereby, acut piece of the molded surface fastener having been cut in apredetermined size is easy to be provided with two or more kinds ofengaging elements, and the fastener performance can be yet less affectedby a type of the non-woven fabric.

Further in a plan view of the engaging element in the present invention,when each engaging element is viewed separately as a first end part areaincluding an end part on one side of the reference direction, a centerarea including a center part in the reference direction, and a secondend part area including an end part on the other side in the referencedirection, the engaging element has a first shape element that two pawlportions are disposed on the center area with respect to one engagingelement, a second shape element that two pawl portions are disposed onthe first end part area or the second end part area with respect to oneengaging element, and a third shape element that four pawl portions aredisposed or an extended portion is disposed with respect to one engagingelement. Also in this case, the first shape elements, the second shapeelements and the third shape elements are disposed at a predeterminedsame placement pattern in each cycle of the molded surface fastener inthe reference direction.

Since the engaging elements roughly classified into three kindsdepending on the placement of the pawl portions are disposed at apredetermined placement pattern, the cyclic nature of the engagingelements in the molded surface fastener can be relatively easily judged.Also, as the three kinds of engaging elements as mentioned above aredisposed at a predetermined placement pattern along the referencedirection, the molded surface fastener of the present invention can beprovided with an appropriate engaging strength stably with respect tothe various kinds of non-woven fabrics. When the engaging elements areclassified into three kinds of the first shape element, the second shapeelement and the third shape element, positions of the pawl portions inthe reference direction mean the center position of the pawl portion inthe reference direction. For example, in a case that the referencedirection is the length direction of the base portion (machinedirection), and the pawl portions of the engaging element are disposedto be along a width direction of the base portion (perpendiculardirection), the engaging element in which the center position of thepawl portion in the length direction is disposed on the center areaincluding the center part of the engaging element in the lengthdirection (machine direction) is the first shape element.

The molded surface fastener of the present invention is formed bychanging its shape (particularly a position relation of the pawlportions in the engaging element) in a plan view of the engaging elementstep by step along the reference direction. Also thereby, the moldedsurface fastener of the present invention can be provided with anappropriate engaging strength with respect to the various kinds ofnon-woven fabrics.

Further in the molded surface fastener of the present invention, sincethe reference direction as mentioned above is the length direction ofthe base portion (machine direction), the molded surface fastener of thepresent invention can have at least two kinds of the engaging elementsstably in the length direction of the base portion.

Furthermore in the molded surface fastener according to the presentinvention, the same kind of engaging elements having the same shape in aplan view of the engaging element are disposed along a directionperpendicular to the reference direction. Since the same kind of theengaging elements are disposed in a direction perpendicular to thereference direction, the shapes of the engaging elements formed on themolded surface fastener can be controlled easily, and the die wheel ofthe molding apparatus used for manufacturing the molded surface fastenerin the present invention can be formed easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating schematically a manufacturingapparatus of a molded surface fastener according to Embodiment 1 of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating schematically an outer sidecylindrical body and an inner side cylindrical body disposed on themolding apparatus of the manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a main part schematic view illustrating position relationsbetween penetrating holes formed on the outer side cylindrical body andgrooved channel portions provided on the inner side cylindrical body.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the molded surface fastener.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the molded surface fastener.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one engaging elementof the molded surface fastener.

FIG. 8 is a schematic explanation view explaining a first end part area,a center area and a second end part area of the engaging element.

FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating schematically a manufacturingapparatus of a molded surface fastener according to Embodiment 2 of thepresent invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating the molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 2.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one engagingelement only of the molded surface fastener.

FIG. 13 is a front view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 14 is a side view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one engagingelement only in another molded surface fastener manufactured inEmbodiment 2.

FIG. 16 is a front view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 17 is a plan view illustrating yet another molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 2.

FIG. 18 is a plan view illustrating the molded surface fastener for thelength of two cycles.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged front view illustrating one engaging element of amolded surface fastener only.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 21 is a side view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 22 is a plan view illustrating a molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 3.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one engagingelement of the molded surface fastener only.

FIG. 24 is a front view of one engaging element only.

FIG. 25 is a side view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 26 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one engagingelement of another molded surface fastener manufactured in Embodiment 3only.

FIG. 27 is a front view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 28 is a plan view illustrating yet another molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 3.

FIG. 29 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one engagingelement of the molded surface fastener only.

FIG. 30 is a front view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 31 is a side view illustrating one engaging element only.

FIG. 32 is a plan view illustrating yet another molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 3.

FIG. 33 is a plan view illustrating yet another molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 3.

FIG. 34 is a main part schematic view illustrating a position relationbetween penetrating holes of an outer side cylindrical body and groovedchannel portions of an inner side cylindrical body according tomodification example 1.

FIG. 35 is a main part schematic view illustrating a position relationbetween penetrating holes of an outer side cylindrical body and groovedchannel portions of an inner side cylindrical body according tomodification example 2.

FIG. 36 is a main part schematic view illustrating a position relationbetween penetrating holes of an outer side cylindrical body and groovedchannel portions of an inner side cylindrical body according tomodification example 3.

FIG. 37 is a main part schematic view illustrating a position relationbetween penetrating holes of an outer side cylindrical body and groovedchannel portions of an inner side cylindrical body according tomodification example 4.

FIG. 38 is a main part schematic view illustrating a position relationbetween penetrating holes of an outer side cylindrical body and groovedchannel portions of an inner side cylindrical body according tomodification example 5.

FIG. 39 is a schematic view illustrating schematically a conventionalmolding apparatus.

FIG. 40 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional outside screenand an inside screen.

FIG. 41 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part illustratingthe conventional outside screen and the inside screen.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail with Embodiments referring to drawings. It should benoted that the present invention is not limited thereto, and variouschanges can be made as long as they have a substantially same structureand same functional effects. For example, in the Embodiments below, anumber, a disposing position and a forming density of engaging elementsdisposed on a base portion of a molded surface fastener is not limitedin particular, and can be changed arbitrarily.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating schematically a manufacturingapparatus of a molded surface fastener according to Embodiment 1 of thepresent invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustratingschematically an outer side cylindrical body and an inner sidecylindrical body disposed on the molding apparatus of the manufacturingapparatus. FIG. 3 is a main part schematic view illustrating positionrelations between penetrating holes formed on the outer side cylindricalbody and grooved channel portions provided on the inner side cylindricalbody. It should be noted that FIGS. 1 to 3 are outlined drawingsillustrating schematically to easily understand the features of thepresent invention, and dimensions and the like of the shown apparatusmay be different from the actual apparatus. Further, in the schematicview illustrating the position relation between the penetrating holesand the grooved portions (grooved channel portions or depressedportions) as in FIG. 3, the circular part represents an outer peripheraledge of the penetrating hole disposed on an inner peripheral surface ofthe outer side cylindrical body. Further in the schematic view as inFIG. 3, the grooved portions provided in the inner side cylindrical bodyare represented in white color, and the part of the outer peripheralsurface that the grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body arenot provided are represented in gray color.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are a perspective view, a plan view and a side view,respectively, schematically illustrating the molded surface fastenermanufactured in Embodiment 1. FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are a perspective view, aside view and a front view enlarging one engaging element of the moldedsurface fastener (first engaging element as described later).

In the following explanation, a front and rear direction regarding amolded surface fastener and a primary molded body described later meansa length direction of the molded surface fastener and the primary moldedbody molded long. The front and rear direction (length direction) alsomeans a direction along a machine direction (M direction or MD) in whicha molded surface fastener or a primary molded body flow in amanufacturing step of the molded surface fastener.

A right and left direction means a width direction perpendicular to alength direction and along an upper surface (or a lower surface) of thebase portion of the molded surface fastener and the primary molded body.In this case, the right and left direction (width direction) is aperpendicular direction (C direction or CD) perpendicular to the machinedirection (MD) in the manufacturing step of the molded surface fastener.An upper and lower direction (thickness direction) means a heightdirection perpendicular to the length direction and perpendicular to anupper surface (or lower surface) of the base portion of the moldedsurface fastener.

In Embodiment 1, a synthetic resin molded surface fastener 10 having aflat plate-shaped base portion 11 and a plurality of engaging elements20 standing on an upper surface of the base portion 11 as shown in FIGS.4 to 6 are manufactured by using a manufacturing apparatus 30 shown inFIG. 1. In this case, thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene,polyester, nylon, polybutylene terephthalate or copolymer thereof aresuitably employed as the synthetic resin forming the molded surfacefastener 10. It should be noted that the material of the molded surfacefastener 10 is not particularly limited.

The molded surface fastener 10 manufactured in Embodiment 1 is brieflyexplained here. In the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1,eleven kinds of engaging elements 20 having different shapes from eachother in a plan view of the engaging element 20, more specificallyeleven kinds of engaging elements 20 having different position relationsof the pawl portions 22 with respect to the stem portions 21 in a planview, are disposed serially along the length direction (machinedirection). Further, the same kind of engaging elements disposed at thesame position relation of the pawl portions 22 with respect to the stemportions 21 are cyclically disposed along the length direction (machinedirection) at a cycle of eleven engaging elements 20. In other words,between the same kind of engaging elements disposed in the lengthdirection (machine direction), ten kinds of engaging elements 20 havingdifferent position relations of the pawl portions 22 from that of theengaging element 20 are disposed. In the molded surface fastener 10 ofEmbodiment 1, the same kind of engaging elements 20 having the sameposition relations of the pawl portions 22 to the stem portion 21 aredisposed to line along the width direction (perpendicular direction) ofthe molded surface fastener 10.

The manufacturing apparatus 30 of Embodiment 1 to manufacture such amolded surface fastener 10 has a molding apparatus 31 which molds themolded surface fastener 10, and a conveying apparatus not shown in thedrawing and which conveys and cools the molded surface fastener 10 afterbeing molded by the molded apparatus 31.

The molding apparatus 31 of Embodiment 1 has a die wheel 32 drivingrotationally in one direction (anti-clockwise direction in the drawing),an extrusion nozzle 36 disposed opposite to a circumferential surface ofthe die wheel 32 and discharging molten synthetic resin materialcontinuously, and a pickup roller 37 disposed on the downstream side ofthe extrusion nozzle 36 in the rotating direction of the die wheel 32.

The die wheel 32 has an outer side cylindrical body 33 disposed as oneof mold members and having a cylindrical shape, an inner sidecylindrical body 34 disposed as one of the mold members and in closecontact with an inside of the outer side cylindrical body 33, and arotational driving roller 35 rotating the outer side cylindrical body 33and the inner side cylindrical body 34 in one direction. The outer sidecylindrical body 33 and the inner side cylindrical body 34 are alsoreferred to as an outer side sleeve and an inner side sleeve, or anoutside cylindrical mold and an inside cylindrical mold. Inside therotational driving roller 35, a cooling jacket not shown in the drawingand distributing coolant is provided, thereby the molded surfacefastener 10 to be molded on the circumferential surface of the die wheel32 can be efficiently cooled.

In the outer side cylindrical body 33 of the die wheel 32, a pluralityof penetrating holes 38 penetrating the outer side cylindrical body 33from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface areprovided as a cavity for molding the stem portions 21 of the moldedsurface fastener 10. The plurality of penetrating holes 38 formed on oneouter side cylindrical body 33 have the same shape and the same sizeeach other. The plurality of penetrating holes 38 on the outer sidecylindrical body 33 are formed to correspond to the placement positionsof the engaging elements 20 of the molded surface fastener 10 to bemanufactured.

In the case of Embodiment 1, the penetrating holes 38 are formed havingconstant pitches in the peripheral direction which becomes M direction(MD) of the outer side cylindrical body 33, and formed at predeterminedpitches in C direction (CD) parallel to the center shaft of the outerside cylindrical body 33. In this case, the pitch in the M direction andthe pitch in C direction of the penetrating holes 38 are abbreviated asa penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and a penetrating hole CD pitch P2,respectively. Dimension tolerance of plus or minus 10% may be permittedin the penetrating hole 38 formed on the outer side cylindrical body 33.

In Embodiment 1, the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and the penetratinghole CD pitch P2 are set at the same size, and in the case of Embodiment1, the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and the penetrating hole CD pitch P2are set at 600 In the present invention, the sizes of the penetratinghole MD pitch P1 and the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 can be arbitrarilychanged. The penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and the penetrating hole CDpitch P2 can be set at different sizes from each other. Each penetratinghole 38 of Embodiment 1 has a substantially cone-shape such that acircular shape on the outer peripheral surface of the outer sidecylindrical body 33 is formed larger than a circular shape on the innerperipheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body 33.

Such an outer side cylindrical body 33 is formed by producing a primaryouter side cylindrical body having a cylindrical shape which is notshown in the drawing, and thereafter penetrating a plurality of thepenetrating holes 38 to the primary outer side cylindrical body atpredetermined positions. In this case, the primary outer sidecylindrical body is produced from a conventionally known metal such asnickel and stainless steel. The primary outer side cylindrical body ispreferably formed to be seamless having no seam by forming a metal platemember having a predetermined thickness and a length by extending byapplying pressure, and rolling the metal plate member in a cylindricalshape and welding it. For processing a plurality of the penetratingholes 38 to the obtained primary outer side cylindrical body, a knowngeneral technology can be used, and laser processing, electron beamprocessing, mechanical processing including hole making processing andetching processing can be used.

On an outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 ofEmbodiment 1, a plurality of grooved channel portions (grooved portions)40 are grooved linearly along C direction (CD) parallel to the centershaft of the cylindrical body as cavities forming rib portions 23described later and the pawl portions 22 of the engaging element 20. Theplurality of grooved channel portions 40 provided on the inner sidecylindrical body 34 have the same shape and the same size each other.

The inner side cylindrical body 34 of Embodiment 1 is produced by, forexample, forming a metal plate member having a predetermined thicknessand a length by extending by applying pressure, forming a plurality ofgrooved channel portions 40 by laser processing, electron beamprocessing, mechanical processing including hole making processing andetching processing to the metal plate member, and thereafter, rollingthe metal plate member in a cylindrical shape and welding it. It shouldbe noted that in the present invention, the forming method of the outerside cylindrical body 33 and the inner side cylindrical body 34 are notparticularly limited.

Each grooved channel portion 40 of the inner side cylindrical body 34has a groove width and a groove depth into which synthetic resin forforming the molded surface fastener 10 can flow in a molten state. Eachgrooved channel portion 40 of Embodiment 1 has a flat groove bottomsurface such that a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to C directionshows a square shape and a pair of groove side wall surfaces facing toand disposed parallel to each other. The grooved channel portion 40 ofthe inner side cylindrical body 34 may be formed to have a substantiallyU-shaped cross-section instead of the above-mentioned square-shapedcross-section.

The groove width (distance between the pair of the groove side wallsurfaces) of each grooved channel portion 40 is set at 10 μm or largerand 100 μm or smaller. The groove depth (dimension from the outerperipheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 to the groovebottom surface of the grooved channel portion 40) is set at 5 μm orlarger and 50 μm or smaller. The groove width and the groove depth ofthe grooved channel portion 40 can be arbitrarily changed in the presentinvention.

The grooved channel portions 40 parallel to C direction are formed in aperipheral direction which is M direction (MD) of the inner sidecylindrical body 34 at constant pitches. In this case, the pitch of thegrooved channel portions 40 in M direction is abbreviated to a groovedchannel MD pitch P3. In Embodiment 1, the grooved channel MD pitch P3 issmaller than the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and smaller than a size ofthe penetrating hole 38 in M direction of the outer side cylindricalbody 33. Particularly in this case, the specific size of the groovedchannel MD pitch P3 is set at 110 μm.

The grooved channel MD pitch P3 is a size having a value which is notdivisible with an integer (natural number) with respect to thepenetrating hole MD pitch P1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, forexample, in two penetrating holes 38 disposed adjacent to each other inM direction of the outer side cylindrical body 33, the relative positionrelation of the grooved channel portions 40 of the inner sidecylindrical body 34 with respect to the penetrating holes 38 can bedifferent from each other.

In the die wheel 32 of Embodiment 1, when the relation of the groovedchannel portions 40 of the inner side cylindrical body 34 with respectto the penetrating holes 38 of the outer side cylindrical body 33 isviewed, the grooved channel portions 40 formed along C direction on theinner side cylindrical body 34 are, as shown in FIG. 3, classified intotwo kinds of grooved channel portions 40, i.e. a use grooved channelportion 41 disposed to intersect with the penetrating hole 38 of theouter side cylindrical body 33, and a non-use grooved channel portion 42disposed between the penetrating holes 38 adjacent to each other in Mdirection of the outer side cylindrical body 33 and does not intersectwith the penetrating hole 38.

In this case, the use grooved channel portion 41 of the inner sidecylindrical body 34 is the grooved channel portion 40 into which moltensynthetic resin material is flowed when the molded surface fastener 10is molded with the die wheel 32. The non-use grooved portion 42 of theinner side cylindrical body 34 is the grooved channel portion 40 coveredby the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body 33and into which the molten synthetic resin material cannot be flowed whenthe molded surface fastener 10 is molded with the die wheel 32. InEmbodiment 1, the non-use grooved channel portions 42 into which thesynthetic resin material is not flowed are disposed in all areas formedbetween the penetrating holes 38 adjacent to each other in M directionof the outer side cylindrical body 33.

As large number of the grooved channel portions 40 are formed on theinner side cylindrical body 34 to intentionally provide the non-usegrooved channel portions 42 as above, even when processing accuracy ofthe outer side cylindrical body 33 and the inner side cylindrical body34 is not high, and positions of the penetrating holes 38 formed on theouter side cylindrical body 33 or the positions of the grooved channelportions 40 formed on the inner side cylindrical body 34 are slightlydisplaced, at least one grooved channel portion 40 of the inner sidecylindrical body 34 can be provided to intersect with respect to eachpenetrating hole 38 of the outer side cylindrical body 33. Thereby, themolded surface fastener 10 in which all the engaging elements 20respectively have at least a right and left pair of the pawl portions 22can be stably manufactured.

Also, in each penetrating hole 38 of the outer side cylindrical body 33,at least one grooved channel portion 40 of the inner side cylindricalbody 34 is disposed to intersect with a circular-shaped outer peripheraledge of the penetrating hole 38 on the inner peripheral surface of theouter side cylindrical body 33 as the use grooved channel portion 41.Thereby, the circular-shaped outer peripheral edge of the penetratinghole 38 formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the outer sidecylindrical body 33 has at least two groove-overlapped parts overlappingthe grooved channel portion 40 of the inner side cylindrical body 34,and at least two close contact parts having an arc shape disposedbetween the overlapped parts and in direct close contact with the outerperipheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34. Thereby, inthe molded surface fastener 10 molded with the die wheel 32, theplurality of engaging elements 20 each having the stem portion 21, therib portion 23 and at least two pawl portions 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 to9 can be stably formed on the base portion 11.

Furthermore, the least common multiple between the penetrating hole MDpitch P1 (600 μm) and the grooved channel MD pitch P3 (110 μm) is 6600μm in the die wheel 32 of Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the size of theleast common multiple is larger than the penetrating hole MD pitch P1.

Also in this case, the value calculated by dividing the least commonmultiple by the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 is “11”. The calculatedvalue represents the number of kinds of the penetrating holes 38 formedto have different position relations of the grooved channel portions 40(use grooved channel portions 41) of the inner side cylindrical body 34with respect to the penetrating holes 38 in M direction of the outerside cylindrical body 33, and represents a cycle (the number of thepenetrating holes 38 forming one cycle) in a case that the same kind ofthe penetrating holes 38 having the same position relations of thegrooved channel portions 40 (use grooved channel portions 41) of theinner side cylindrical body 34 with respect to the penetrating holes 38are cyclically disposed in M direction of the outer side cylindricalbody 33. Further, the calculated value “11” corresponds to the number ofthe engaging elements 20 disposed in one cycle in the molded surfacefastener 10 on which the same kind of the engaging elements 20 arecyclically disposed in the length direction, as mentioned above.

A pickup roller 37 of Embodiment 1 has a pair of upper holding roller 37a and a lower holding roller 37 b which vertically hold the moldedsurface fastener 10 molded on the outer peripheral surface of the diewheel 32. An outer peripheral surface part of the upper holding roller37 a to which the molded surface fastener 10 is contacted and an outerperipheral surface part of the lower holding roller 37 b to which themolded surface fastener 10 is contacted are provided with a top surfacelayer not shown in the drawing and formed of elastomer such aspolyurethane elastomer.

The upper holding roller 37 a and the lower holding roller 37 b of thepickup roller 37 are disposed to face each other with a predeterminedinterval. Since these upper holding roller 37 a and the lower holdingroller 37 b are rotated at a predetermined speed in a predetermineddirection, thereby the molded surface fastener 10 can be conveyed on thedownstream side smoothly while being peeled off from the die wheel 32continuously.

At the pickup roller 37, just after the molded surface fastener 10 ispeeled off from the die wheel 32, the molded surface fastener 10 is heldbetween the upper holding roller 37 a and the lower holding roller 37 bto be conveyed to the downstream side. By peeling off the molded surfacefastener 10 from the die wheel 32 forcibly, even when the pawl portions22 of the engaging elements 20 in the molded surface fastener 10 areformed so as to protrude diagonally upward, for example, it is possiblethat the pawl portions 22 of the engaging elements 20 are deformed so asto protrude downward to the base portion 11 in an oblique or curvedmanner, or protrude parallel to the upper surface of the base portion11.

The conveying apparatus not shown in the drawing in the manufacturingapparatus 30 of Embodiment 1 has a conveying roller and the like, and isformed to be able to cool the molded surface fastener 10 peeled off fromthe die wheel 32 by the pickup roller 37 while conveying it laterally.In the present invention, the structure of the conveying apparatus isnot limited, and installation of the conveying apparatus can be omitted.

In Embodiment 1, when the molded surface fastener 10 is manufacturedusing the manufacturing apparatus 30 having the above-mentioned moldingapparatus 31 and the conveying apparatus not shown in the drawing, amolten synthetic resin is continuously extruded from an extrusion nozzle36 toward the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel 32. At thistime, the die wheel 32 is driving rotationally in one direction.

Therefore, by continuously extruding the synthetic resin material to theperipheral surface of the die wheel 32, the base portion 11 of themolded surface fastener 10 is continuously molded between the extrusionnozzle 36 and the die wheel 32. In this case, an interval between theextrusion nozzle 36 and the die wheel 32 is adjusted to a sizecorresponding to a thickness dimension of the base portion 11 of themolded surface fastener 10 to be manufactured.

When the base portion 11 is molded as above, a plurality of engagingelements 20 are integrally molded on an upper surface of the baseportion 11 simultaneously with the outer side cylindrical body 33 andthe inner side cylindrical body 34 of the die wheel 32 as mentionedabove. At this time, the molten synthetic resin material extruded fromthe extrusion nozzle 36 is cured by being supported, cooled andhalf-rotated on the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel 32,thereby the molded surface fastener 10 having the flat plate-shaped baseportion 11 formed in a long length in the machine direction as shown inFIGS. 4 to 6, and a plurality of the engaging elements 20 standing onthe upper surface of the base portion 11 is molded.

Further, the molded surface fastener 10 molded by the die wheel 32 iscontinuously peeled off from the outer peripheral surface of the diewheel 32 by the pickup roller 37. Thereafter, the molded surfacefastener 10 peeled off from the die wheel 32 is conveyed to a cuttingpart not shown in the drawing, cut in a predetermined length at thecutting part and collected. Alternatively, the molded surface fastener10 peeled off from the die wheel 32 and having a long length in themachine direction is rolled and collected by a collecting roller and thelike in a long state.

By using the above manufacturing method, the molded surface fastener 10of Embodiment 1 as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is manufactured.

The molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 has a thin plate-shapedbase portion 11 formed to have a constant thickness, and a plurality ofengaging elements 20 provided to stand on an upper surface of the baseportion 11. The plurality of engaging elements 20 are disposed to lineregularly along the length direction which is the machine direction (MD)and a width direction which is a perpendicular direction (CD).

That is, the plurality of engaging elements 20 are disposed at constantforming pitches along the length direction of the base portion 11, andare disposed at constant forming pitches along the width direction ofthe base portion 11. In this case, each size of the forming pitch of theengaging elements 20 in the length direction and the forming pitch inthe width direction correspond to the above-mentioned penetrating holeMD pitch P1 and the penetrating hole CD pitch P2. In this case, thedimensional tolerance of the penetrating holes 38 in the outer sidecylindrical body 33 are reflected to product dimensions. In the presentinvention, placement pattern of the engaging elements 20 in the moldedsurface fastener 10 is not limited, and the forming pitches of theengaging elements 20 in the length direction and the width direction canbe set arbitrarily.

Each engaging element 20 of Embodiment 1 has a stem portion 21 standingup from the base portion 11 and provided with a substantially coneshape, one or two rib portions 23 protruded on an upper end surface ofthe stem portion 21 along the right and left direction (CD), and two orfour pawl portions 22 protruded outward from right and left side endedges of each rib portion 23. That is, the engaging elements 20 ofEmbodiment 1 include two-pawl engaging element 20 having two pawlportions 22 per stem portion 21 and four-pawl engaging element 20 havingfour pawl portions 22 per stem portion 21.

In Embodiment 1, the upper end surface of the stem portion 21 has acircular shape in a plan view of the engaging element 20. In the presentinvention, a shape of the stem portion 21 is not limited to the coneshape as mentioned above. The rib portion 23 is bulged upward from theupper end surface of the stem portion 21, and disposed linearly along Cdirection. Each pawl portion 22 extending from the rib portion 23 towardthe right and left direction is formed to protrude outward from theupper end outer peripheral edge (outer peripheral edge of thecircular-shaped upper end surface of the stem portion 21) in a plan viewof the engaging element 20. Further, each pawl portion 22 of Embodiment1 is formed to decline diagonally downward toward the base portion 11via a bent portion from the side end edge of the rib portion 23 so thata pawl tip end is hung down.

In the engaging element 20 of Embodiment 1, there is nothing formed tobulge outward from the outer peripheral edge of the circular-shapedupper end surface of the stem portion 21 except the pawl portion 22.That means, in each engaging element 20 of Embodiment 1, a disc-shapedengaging head portion such as a conventional mushroom-type engagingelement is not provided, and any engaging factor to engage a loop is notformed other than the pawl portion 22.

The molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 is molded using the diewheel 32 having the least common multiple between the penetrating holeMD pitch P1 of the outer side cylindrical body 33 and the groovedchannel MD pitch P3 of the inner side cylindrical body 34 is larger thanthe penetrating hole MD pitch P1, and the value calculated by dividingthe least common multiple by the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 is “11”.Therefore, in the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1, when thelength direction (machine direction) of the molded surface fastener 10is defined as the reference direction, eleven kinds of the engagingelements 20 having different shapes (particularly the position relationsof the pawl portions 22 with respect to the stem portion 21 in a planview of the molded surface fastener 10) in a plan view of the moldedsurface fastener 10 are disposed serially along the reference direction.

That is, the plurality of engaging elements 20 disposed in a line alongthe length direction of the molded surface fastener 10 include theeleven kinds of engaging elements 20 having different position relationsof the pawl portions 22 in a plan view of the molded surface fastener10. In this case, the eleven kinds of engaging elements 20 having thedifferent position relations of the pawl portions 22 are referred to asa first engaging element 20 a to an eleventh engaging element 20 k,respectively, for convenience.

In a case of the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 in particular, the engaging element 20 located on the farleft is defined as the first engaging element 20 a, and the engagingelements 20 disposed serially from the first engaging element 20 a alongthe length direction are defined as the second engaging element 20 b tothe eleventh engaging element 20 k, respectively.

In Embodiment 1, two engaging elements 20 disposed to be apart andbetween which the eleven engaging elements 20 are disposed in the lengthdirection are the same kind of engaging elements 20 having the sameposition relations of the pawl portions 22 each other as above. In FIGS.5 and 6, for example, the twelfth engaging element 20 disposed in thelength direction from the first engaging element 20 a disposed as thefirst on the far left side (the engaging element 20 disposed on the farright side in FIGS. 5 and 6) is the first engaging element 20 a havingthe same position relation of the pawl portions 22. Further, theengaging elements 20 disposed adjacent to each other in the lengthdirection (the first engaging element 20 a and the second engagingelement 20 b, or the second engaging element 20 b and the third engagingelement 20 c, for example) are formed to have different positionrelations of the pawl portions 22 from each other.

That is, in Embodiment 1, the same kind of engaging elements 20 disposedwith the same position relation of the pawl portions 22 with respect tothe stem portion 21 (first engaging element 20 a, for example) arecyclically disposed every eleven engaging elements 20 along the lengthdirection as the reference direction of the molded surface fastener 10.

Since a size of each engaging element 20 of Embodiment 1 is very small,it may be difficult to form all the engaging elements 20 in designedshapes. Further, when the molded surface fastener is manufactured usinga molding die, the shapes of the engaging elements (the shape and thesize of the pawl portion, in particular) may be different from the samekind of other engaging elements due to various reasons even when theengaging elements are molded from the same-shaped molding cavities.Therefore, in the present invention, as long as the position relationsof the pawl portions in the engaging elements are substantially same,they can be judged as the same kind of engaging element even when theshape and size of the pawl portions are different slightly.

In Embodiment 1, the eleven kinds of the first engaging elements 20 a tothe eleventh engaging element 20 k are cyclically disposed atpredetermined cycles in the length direction. However, in the presentinvention, it is sufficient that at least two kinds of engaging elementshaving different shapes at least in a plan view are cyclically disposedat predetermined cycles. That is, when the size of each engaging elementis so small that some engaging elements are deformed from thepredetermined shapes, and if at least two kinds of engaging elements 20(first engaging element 20 a and the fifth engaging element 20 e, forexample) are cyclically disposed in the length direction at a cycle ofthe eleven engaging elements 20 of the molded surface fastener, thus themolded surface fastener is included in the present invention. In thiscase, it is further preferable that at least four kinds of engagingelements 20 are cyclically disposed, particularly, half the kinds ofengaging elements 20 among the engaging elements 20 disposed on onecycle (i.e. at least six kinds of engaging elements 20) are cyclicallydisposed.

Further in the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1, the engagingelements 20 disposed in line along the width direction (perpendiculardirection) of the molded surface fastener 10 are formed as the same kindof engaging elements 20 having the same position relation of the pawlportions 22 with respect to the stem portion 21. That is, the firstengaging elements 20 a to the eleventh engaging elements 20 k arerespectively disposed to line in a row in the width direction of themolded surface fastener 10.

Particularly in the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1, theeleven kinds of first engaging elements 20 a to the eleventh engagingelements 20 k having different position relations of the pawl portions22 with respect to the stem portion 21 as mentioned above are disposedserially along the length direction, and these eleven kinds of engagingelements 20 can be roughly classified into three shapes as below.

Specifically regarding the shape of each engaging element 20, theengaging element 20 is divided as shown in FIG. 8 into a first end partarea 5 including an end part (front end part) 5 on one side in thelength direction, a second end part area 7 including an end part (rearend part) on the other side in the length direction and a center area 6including a center part in the length direction. In this case, the threeareas are preferably divided with equal dimensions in the lengthdirection, but may be divided with different dimensions.

Then, in a plan view that the engaging element 20 is viewed from above(see FIG. 5, for example), the engaging element 20 that two pawlportions 22 (a right and left pair of pawl portions 22) are provided toone stem portion 21, and these pawl portions 22 are disposed on thecenter area 6 of the engaging element 20 is defined as a first shapeelement 1. That means, the first shape element 1 is the engaging element20 that a right and left pair of pawl portions 22 are provided on thecenter part or nearby in the length direction.

The engaging element 20 that two pawl portions 22 (a right and left pairof pawl portions 22) are provided to one stem portion 21, and these pawlportions 22 are disposed on the first end part area 5 or the second endpart area 7 of the engaging element 20 is defined as a second shapeelement 2. That means, the second shape element 2 is the engagingelement 20 that the right and left pair of pawl portions 22 are providedclose to either end part in the length direction. Further, the engagingelement 20 that four pawl portions 22 (two pairs of a right and leftpair of pawl portions 22) are provided to one stem portion 21 is definedas a third shape element 3.

When the engaging elements 20 are roughly classified into the abovethree shapes, as mentioned above, in the molded surface fastener 10 ofEmbodiment 1, the first engaging element 20 a, the third engagingelement 20 c and the tenth engaging element 20 j are formed as the firstshape element 1. The second engaging element 20 b, the fourth engagingelement 20 d, the ninth engaging element 20 i and the eleventh engagingelement 20 k as mentioned above are formed as the third shape element 3.Further, the fifth engaging element 20 e to the eighth engaging element20 h are formed as the second shape element 2. Thus, the four secondshape elements 2 are continuously disposed in the length direction inthe molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1.

Then, in the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1, the first shapeelements 1, the second shape elements 2 and the third shape elements 3are disposed at regular constant placement pattern as above at everycycle of the eleven kinds of engaging elements 20 in the lengthdirection as mentioned above. By roughly classifying all the engagingelements 20 provided on the molded surface fastener 10 into the firstshape elements 1, the second shape elements 2 and the third shapeelements 3 depending on the placement of the pawl portions 22, thecyclicity of the engaging elements 20 in the molded surface fastener 10can be judged relatively easily.

Then, the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 having the abovestructure is manufactured using the molding apparatus 31 having theinner side cylindrical body 34 on which the two kinds of grooved channelportions 40, that is the use grooved channel portions 41 and the non-usegrooved channel portions 40, are grooved in the inner side cylindricalbody 34 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each engaging element 20 can beprovided with at least a right and left pair of pawl portions 22 to onestem portion 21.

Therefore, even when the position of the pawl portions 22 with respectto the stem portion 21 is slightly displaced from the designed positiondue to low processing accuracy at the time of forming the penetratingholes 38 on the outer side cylindrical body 33 of the molding apparatus31 or low processing accuracy at the time of forming the grooved channelportions 40 on the inner side cylindrical body 34, the molded surfacefastener 10 of Embodiment 1 can be provided with a stable engagingstrength or a peeling strength with respect to a female surface fastener(non-woven fabric) having a plurality of loops.

In the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 in particular, theeleven kinds of engaging elements 20 having different position relationsof the pawl portions 22 with respect to the stem portion 21 arecyclically disposed along the length direction. By intentionally formingthe plural kinds of engaging elements 20 having different positionrelations of the pawl portions 22 as above, even when the position ofthe penetrating hole 38 and the position of the grooved portion 40 aredisplaced, an influence of the displacement to the engaging strength orthe peeling strength of the molded surface fastener 10 can besuppressed.

Further, the eleven kinds of engaging elements 20 having differentposition relations of the pawl portion 22 with respect to the stemportion 21 are cyclically disposed along the length direction, and thesame kind of engaging elements 20 having the same position relations ofthe pawl portions 22 are disposed at such a short cycle as every elevenengaging elements 20, thereby the following effects can be obtained.

Specifically, when a molding apparatus having a die wheel that thepenetrating holes 38 of the outer side cylindrical body 33 and thegrooved channel portions 40 of the inner side cylindrical body 34intersect with each other at predetermined certain positions each otherregarding the machine direction (that is, the die wheel having the valueof the least common multiple between the penetrating hole MD pitch P1and the grooved channel MD pitch P3 as mentioned above is the same valueof the penetrating hole MD pitch P1) is used as a molding apparatus 31of the molded surface fastener 10, a position displacement due toprocessing accuracy may be formed between the penetrating hole 38 of theouter side cylindrical body 33 and the grooved channel portion 40 of theinner side cylindrical body 34.

In this case, in the molded surface fastener manufactured using themolding apparatus, the engaging elements having position relations ofthe pawl portions slightly different from each other with respect to thestem portion are disposed along the length direction of the moldedsurface fastener. Further, the cycle that the same kind of engagingelements having substantially same position relation of the pawlportions are formed again is the length that engaging elements exceeding40 are disposed in the length direction of the molded surface fastener,which is the molded surface fastener having long cyclicity of theengaging elements.

However, when such a molded surface fastener having long cyclicity ofthe engaging elements are cut in a predetermined small size such thatthe number of the engaging elements disposed along the length directionis 30 or smaller, for example, shapes of the engaging elements disposedin every small cut piece are different. Therefore, when the moldedsurface fastener with the small cut piece size is attached to a finalproduct, a defect of difference in performance of the molded surfacefastener in each final product may occur.

On the contrary, in the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1, theeleven kinds of the engaging elements 20 are disposed at constant cyclealong the length direction as mentioned above. Therefore, even when themolded surface fastener 10 is cut into predetermined small sizes suchthat the number of the engaging elements 20 disposed in the lengthdirection is 30 or less, at least two cycles of the eleven kinds ofengaging elements 20 can be provided on the obtained each small cutpiece. Therefore, even when the molded surface fastener 10 is attachedto a final product with a size of the small cut piece, the performanceof the molded surface fastener 10 in each final product can be lesslikely to be different.

Further in the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1, since theeleven kinds of engaging elements 20 are cyclically disposed along thelength direction, strength and weakness of the engaging elements 20between different kinds of engaging elements 20 can be complemented eachother. Thereby, the performance of the manufactured molded surfacefastener 10 can be stabilized, and can be less likely affected by a typeof non-woven fabric (female surface fastener). That is, the moldedsurface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 is the molded surface fastener 10stably provided with a fastener performance such as engaging strengthappropriately to various non-woven fabrics.

In Embodiment 1, the pawl portion 22 is formed such that the pawlportions 22 provided on each engaging element 20 is declined from theside end edge of the rib portion 23 toward the base portion 11diagonally downward, as mentioned above. In the present invention,however, it is also possible to manufacture a molded surface fastenerthat the pawl portions 22 provided on each engaging element 20 areformed to protrude from the side end edge of the rib portion 23 parallelto the upper surface of the base portion 11.

Embodiment 2

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating schematically a manufacturingapparatus of a molded surface fastener according to Embodiment 2. FIG.11 is a plan view illustrating the molded surface fastener manufacturedin Embodiment 2. FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are an enlarged perspective view, afront view and a side view illustrating one engaging element (firstengaging element) of the molded surface fastener.

Accordingly, in Embodiment 2, and Embodiment 3 described later and eachmodification example, different structures from the molded surfacefastener according to the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 are mainlyexplained. The explanation of parts or members having substantially thesame structures as the molded surface fastener 10 according to theabove-mentioned Embodiment 1 is omitted by using the same referencesigns.

In Embodiment 2, the manufacturing apparatus 30 a as shown in FIG. 10 isused, thereby synthetic resin molded surface fastener 10 a having a flatplate-shaped base portion 11 and a plurality of engaging elements 50standing on the upper surface of the base portion 11 shown in FIG. 11 ismanufactured. In the molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2,eleven kinds of engaging elements 50 having different shapes of theengaging elements 50 in a plan view (particularly position relations ofthe pawl portions 52 with respect to the stem portion 51 in a plan view)are serially disposed along the length direction (machine direction),same as the case of Embodiment 1. Further, the same kind of engagingelements 50 having the same position relation of the above-mentionedpawl portions 52 are cyclically disposed along the length direction(machine direction) every eleven engaging elements 50 as one cycle.

The manufacturing apparatus 30 a of Embodiment 2 for manufacturing sucha molded surface fastener 10 a has the molding apparatus 31 performing aprimary molding step, a conveying apparatus not shown in the drawing andconveying the primary molded body molded by the primary molding step,and a heat press apparatus 39 heating and pressing the primary moldedbody. In this case, the same molding apparatus 31 and the conveyingapparatus as in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 are used as the moldingapparatus 31 and the conveying apparatus of Embodiment 2.

The heat press apparatus 39 of Embodiment 2 has an upper and lower pairof press rollers (calender rollers) 39 a, 39 b. The upper press roller39 a and the lower press roller 39 b are disposed to face each otherwith a predetermined interval. In this case, the interval between theupper press roller 39 a and the lower press roller 39 b can be adjustedby a height adjusting means not shown in the drawing. In a case ofEmbodiment 2, the interval between the upper press roller 39 a and thelower press roller 39 b is adjusted corresponding to a height dimensionfrom a lower surface (back surface) of the base portion 11 to an upperend surface of the stem portion 51 of the molded surface fastener 10 ato be manufactured.

The upper press roller 39 a has a heating source inside which is notshown in the drawing. In this case, a surface temperature of the upperpress roller 39 a is set at a temperature able to soften synthetic resinforming the molded surface fastener 10 a. Specifically, the temperatureis set at a predetermined temperature from the melting point of thesynthetic resin minus 40° C. or higher to the melting point minus 10° C.or lower. The upper press roller 39 a is disposed to rotateanti-clockwise in FIG. 10. An outer peripheral surface of the upperpress roller 39 a becomes a surface which presses heated provisionalelements of the primary molded body molded in the primary molding stepfrom above.

The lower press roller 39 b is disposed to rotate clockwise in FIG. 10,and becomes a supporting surface which supports the primary molded bodyto be conveyed from the below. In the present invention, it is alsopossible that, instead of the upper press roller 39 a and/or the lowerpress roller 39 b, an upper belt mechanism and/or a lower belt mechanismnot shown in the drawing is used. In this case, the upper belt mechanismand the lower belt mechanism respectively have an endless belt and aright and left pair of rotating rollers which winds the endless belt androtates the endless belt in one direction.

When the molded surface fastener 10 a is manufactured using themanufacturing apparatus 30 a of Embodiment 2, the primary molding stepfor molding the primary molded body is first performed using the moldingapparatus 31. In the primary molding step, molten synthetic resinmaterial is extruded continuously from the extrusion nozzle 36 towardthe outer peripheral surface of the die wheel 32. Thereby, the primarymolded body of Embodiment 2 is produced by the molding apparatus 31. Inthis case, the primary molded body of Embodiment 2 is the same as themolded surface fastener 10 manufactured in the above-mentionedEmbodiment 1.

That means, the primary molded body of Embodiment 2 has a plate-shapedbase portion 11 and a plurality of provisional elements standing on theupper surface of the base portion 11, and the plurality of provisionalelements of Embodiment 2 are formed samely to the plurality of engagingelements 20 in Embodiment 1 as above. In this case, the provisionalelement has a provisional stem portion, a provisional rib portion and aprovisional pawl portion formed to correspond to each of the stemportion 21, the rib portion 23 and the pawl portion 22 of Embodiment 1as mentioned above.

Next, the primary molded body formed by the molding apparatus 31 ofEmbodiment 2 is peeled off from the outer peripheral surface of the diewheel 32 by the pickup roller 37. Thereafter, it is conveyed toward theheat press apparatus which performs the secondary molding step, andintroduced between the upper press roller 39 a and the lower pressroller 39 b of the heat press apparatus 39.

Then, the primary molded body passes between the upper press roller 39 aand the lower press roller 39 b, thereby a part of the provisionalelement is heated and softened by the upper press roller 39 a, and theprovisional element is pressed from the above. Thereby, the provisionalrib portion and a part of the provisional pawl portion provided on theprovisional element are compressed and thermally deformed to beflattened, and the engaging element 50 having a shape shown in FIGS. 11to 14 is formed. Thereby, the molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment2 as shown in FIG. 11 is manufactured.

The molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2 has a flat plate-shapedbase portion 11 formed to have a constant thickness and a plurality ofengaging elements 50 provided to stand on the upper surface of the baseportion 11. The plurality of engaging elements 50 are disposed in lineregularly along the length direction which is the machine direction(MID) and the width direction which is the perpendicular direction (CD)at constant forming pitches.

Each engaging element 50 of Embodiment 2 has a stem portion 51 standingup from the base portion 11 and having a substantially cone shape, andtwo or four pawl portions 52 protruded outward from an upper end part ofthe stem portion 51. In this case, each pawl portion 52 is formed toprotrude outward from the upper end outer peripheral edge of the stemportion 51 in a plan view of engaging element 50. Particularly, eachpawl portion 52 of Embodiment 1 is formed such that a pawl tip end isdeclined from the upper end part outer peripheral surface of the stemportion 51 toward the base portion 11 diagonally downward so as to behung down.

Also in the molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2, a firstengaging element 50 a to an eleventh engaging element 50 k havingdifferent position relations of the pawl portions 52 with respect to thestem portion 51 in a plan view of the molded surface fastener 10 a areserially disposed, and the same kind of engaging elements 50 arecyclically disposed. Further, the engaging elements 50 disposed in linealong the width direction (perpendicular direction) of the moldedsurface fastener 10 a are formed as the same kind of engaging element50.

Furthermore, when the eleven kinds of engaging elements 50 of Embodiment2 are roughly classified into three shapes of the first shape element 1,the second shape element 2 and the third shape element 3 as same as thecase of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, the first shape element 1, thesecond shape element 2 and the third shape element 3 are disposed at acertain placement pattern every cycle of the engaging element 50 in themolded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2, same as the case of theabove-mentioned Embodiment 1. Therefore, also in Embodiment 2, the foursecond shape elements 2 are continuously disposed in the lengthdirection.

Then, also by the molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2, the sameeffect as the molded surface fastener 10 of the above-mentionedEmbodiment 1 can be obtained.

It is also possible in Embodiment 2 to manufacture the molded surfacefastener that, by changing manufacturing conditions of the moldedsurface fastener, the pawl portions 52 provided on each engaging elementare protruded from the upper end part outer peripheral surface of thestem portion 51 parallel to the upper surface of the base portion 11, asthe first engaging element 55 a of the molded surface fastener accordingto a first modification example of Embodiment 2 is shown in FIGS. 15 and16.

Further, in Embodiment 2, it is also possible to manufacture a moldedsurface fastener 10 b according to a second modification example ofEmbodiment 2 as shown in FIGS. 17 to 21, for example, by changingmanufacturing conditions of the molded surface fastener.

In the molded surface fastener 10 b according to the second modificationexample, eleven kinds of engaging elements 60 having different shapes ina plan view of the engaging element 60 which are a first engagingelement 60 a to an eleventh engaging element 60 k are serially disposedas the engaging elements 60 standing on the base portion 11 in thelength direction of the molded surface fastener 10 b.

In the second modification example, the first engaging element 60 a, thethird engaging element 60 c, the fifth engaging element 60 e to theeighth engaging element 60 h and the tenth engaging element 60 jclassified as the first shape elements 1 and the second shape elements 2have a stem portion 61 and two pawl portions 22 protruded from an upperend part of the stem portion 61, and are formed same as eachcorresponding engaging element 50 in the molded surface fastener 10 a ofEmbodiment 2.

Meanwhile, the second engaging element 60 b, the fourth engaging element60 d, the ninth engaging element 60 i and the eleventh engaging element60 k in the second modification example are formed to have a differentshape from the case of the molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2.That means, in the molded surface fastener 10 a of Embodiment 2 asmentioned above, the second engaging element 50 b, the fourth engagingelement 50 d, the ninth engaging element 50 i and the eleventh engagingelement 50 k are formed as four-pawl engaging element 50 on which fourpawl portions are provided with respect to one stem portion 51.

On the contrary, in the molded surface fastener 10 a of the secondmodification example, by flattening the upper end part of theprovisional element more smoothly in the secondary molding step usingthe heat press apparatus 39 in the above-mentioned manufacturing methodof Embodiment 2, the second engaging element 60 b, the fourth engagingelement 60 d, the ninth engaging element 60 i and the eleventh engagingelement 60 k respectively have a stem portion 61 and an extended portion64 extending outward from the whole periphery of an outer peripheralsurface of the upper end part of the stem portion 61. In this case, thesecond engaging element 60 b, the fourth engaging element 60 d, theninth engaging element 60 i and the eleventh engaging element 60 krespectively have a shape to show a substantially square shape by theupper surface of the stem portion 61 and the upper surface of theextended portion 64 in a plan view of the engaging element 60. In thiscase, these second engaging element 60 b, the fourth engaging element 60d, the ninth engaging element 60 i and the eleventh engaging element 60k are classified as the third shape element 3 in the second modificationexample.

In the case of the second modification example, the primary molded bodyprovided with a plurality of provisional elements having differentposition relations of the provisional pawl portions with respect to theprovisional stem portion are formed substantially same as the case ofthe above-mentioned Embodiment 2 with the primary molding step by themolding apparatus 31 as above. However, after that, the obtained primarymolded body is compressed from above under a predetermined condition inthe secondary molding step, but the pawl portion protruded from theouter peripheral edge part of the engaging head portion is not formedfrom the provisional pawl portion, and the engaging element having theextended portion formed such that the provisional pawl portion iscompressed to be flatten together with a part of the provisional stemportion. In this case, the extended portion 64 in the engaging element60 of the second modification example becomes an engaging factor toengage a loop same as the pawl portion 52 in the engaging element 50 ofEmbodiment 2.

Then, in the molded surface fastener 10 b of the second modificationexample, the first engaging element 60 a, the third engaging element 60c and the tenth engaging element 60 j classified as the first shapeelement 1; the fifth engaging element 60 e to the eighth engagingelement 60 h classified as the second shape element 2; and the secondengaging element 60 e, the fourth engaging element 60 d, the ninthengaging element 60 i and the eleventh engaging element 60 k classifiedas the third shape element 3 are respectively disposed cyclically in thelength direction of the molded surface fastener 10 b as eleven engagingelements 20 as one cycle. In FIG. 18, a part that two-cycle eleven kindsof engaging elements 20 are disposed in the molded surface fastener 10 bis shown. In the present invention, the number of cycle of the engagingelements formed on one molded surface fastener corresponds to the lengthdimension of the molded surface fastener to be cut.

Also from such a molded surface fastener 10 b according to the secondmodification example of Embodiment 2, the same effect as that of themolded surface fastener 10 of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 can beobtained.

In the molded surface fastener 10 b of the second modification example,the eleven kinds of engaging elements 60 which are the first engagingelement 60 a to the eleventh engaging element 60 k are cyclicallydisposed, and the same kind of engaging elements 60 are disposed atevery eleven engaging elements 60 along the length direction of themolded surface fastener 10 b.

However, as explained in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, the size ofeach engaging element 60 in the second modification example is so smallthat an engaging element 60 without having the shape as designed may beformed in some cases depending on the manufacturing conditions of themolded surface fastener 10 b. For example, in the manufactured moldedsurface fastener of the second modification example, it is consideredthat the second engaging element 60 b or the eleventh engaging element60 k as the third shape element 3 is formed in a shape having four pawlportions same as the second engaging element 50 b or the eleventhengaging element 50 k of the above-mentioned Embodiment 2, or only apart of the second engaging elements 60 b among a plurality of thesecond engaging elements 60 b disposed every eleven elements are formedin a shape having four pawl portions (the engaging element 60 providedwith four pawl portions is classified as the third shape element 3 evenin such a case). Even in such a case, as long as at least two kinds ofengaging elements (the first engaging element 60 a and the fifthengaging element 60 e, for example) are disposed cyclically at apredetermined cycle of eleven engaging elements 60, the molded fasteneris included in the molded surface fastener of the present invention, andthe same effect as the case of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 can beobtained.

Embodiment 3

FIG. 22 is a plan view illustrating schematically a molded surfacefastener manufactured in Embodiment 3. FIG. 23, FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 arean enlarged perspective view, a front view and a side view illustratingone engaging element (first engaging element) of the molded surfacefastener.

In Embodiment 3, by using the manufacturing apparatus 30 a as shown inFIG. 10 as the same as the above-mentioned Embodiment 2, synthetic resinmolded surface fastener 10 c having the flat plate-shaped base portion11 and a plurality of engaging elements 70 standing on the upper surfaceof the base portion 11 as shown in FIG. 22 is manufactured.

Particularly in Embodiment 3, in the secondary molding step using theheat press apparatus 39 as shown in FIG. 10, a compressed amount at thetime of pressing and flattening the upper end part of the provisionalelement in the primary molded body is larger than in the case of theabove-mentioned Embodiment 2 to manufacture the molded surface fastener10 c. In the manufacturing method of Embodiment 3, except for increasingthe compressed amount of the provisional element, the primary moldingstep and the secondary molding step are performed same as themanufacturing method of the above-mentioned Embodiment 2.

In the molded surface fastener 10 c manufactured in Embodiment 3, aplurality of engaging elements 70 respectively have a stem portion 71standing up from the base portion 11, an engaging head portion 73bulging outward from the upper end outer peripheral part of the stemportion 71 and formed integrally to the stem portion 71, and two or fourpawl portions 72 protruded outward from the outer peripheral edge partof the engaging head portion 73. Each pawl portion 72 of Embodiment 3 isformed to decline from the outer peripheral edge part of the engaginghead portion 73 toward the base portion 11 diagonally downward so that apawl tip end is hung down.

Also in the molded surface fastener 10 c of Embodiment 3, eleven kindsof engaging elements 70 which are a first engaging element 70 a to aneleventh engaging element 70 k having different position relations ofpawl portions 72 each other with respect to the engaging head portion 73are serially disposed along the length direction (machine direction) ofthe molded surface fastener 10 c, and the same kind of engaging elements70 are cyclically disposed, as same as the molded surface fastener 10 ofthe above-mentioned Embodiment 1. The engaging elements 70 disposed inline along the width direction (perpendicular direction) of the moldedsurface fastener 10 c are formed as the same kind of the engagingelements 70.

Also in Embodiment 3, when the eleven kinds of engaging elements 70 areroughly classified into three shapes of the first shape element 1, thesecond shape element 2 and the third shape element 3, the first shapeelement 1, the second shape element 2 and the third shape element 3 aredisposed at certain placement patterns same as the case of theabove-mentioned Embodiment 1 at every cycle of the engaging elements 70.

Then, also by the molded surface fastener 10 c of Embodiment 3, the sameeffect as that of the molded surface fastener 10 of Embodiment 1 asmentioned above can be obtained.

In Embodiment 3, it is also possible to manufacture the molded surfacefastener that the pawl portions 72 provided on each engaging element areformed to protrude from the engaging head portion 73 parallel to theupper surface of the base portion 11 by changing the manufacturingconditions of the molded surface fastener as the first engaging element75 a of the molded surface fastener according to the first modificationexample of Embodiment 3 is shown in FIGS. 26 and 27.

Further, in Embodiment 3, it is also possible to manufacture a moldedsurface fastener 10 d that the second engaging element 80 b, the fourthengaging element 80 d, the ninth engaging element 80 i and the eleventhengaging element 80 k among the engaging elements 80 respectively have astem portion 81, an engaging head portion 83 and an extended portion 84extending outward from the whole periphery of the outer peripheral edgepart of the engaging head portion 83, by changing the manufacturingconditions of the molded surface fastener as the second modificationexample of Embodiment 3 is shown in FIGS. 28 to 31, for example. In thiscase, the second engaging element 80 b, the fourth engaging element 80d, the ninth engaging element 80 i and the eleventh engaging element 80k respectively have a shape showing a substantially square shape by theupper surface of the engaging head portion 83 and the upper surface ofthe extended portion 84 in a plan view of the engaging element 80.

In the second modification example, each engaging element 80 which isthe first engaging element 80 a, the third engaging element 80 c, thefifth engaging element 80 e to the eighth engaging element 80 h and thetenth engaging element 80 j classified as the first shape element 1 andthe second shape element 2 has the stem portion 81, the engaging headportion 83 and two pawl portions 82 protruded outward from the outerperipheral edge part of the engaging head portion 83, and is formed sameas each corresponding engaging element 50 of the molded surface fastener10 c in Embodiment 3 as mentioned above.

Also by the molded surface fastener 10 d according to the firstmodification example and the second modification example of Embodiment 3as above, the same effect as that of the molded surface fastener 10 ofEmbodiment 1 as above can be obtained.

As mentioned above, in the molded surface fastener of the presentinvention, it is sufficient as long as at least two kinds of engagingelements are cyclically disposed at a predetermined cycle. Therefore, inthe molded surface fastener 10 c (see FIG. 22) according to Embodiment 3as above and the molded surface fastener 10 d (see FIG. 28) according tothe first modification example and the second modification example ofEmbodiment 3, a part of the engaging elements among the second engagingelement, the fourth engaging element the eighth engaging element and thetenth engaging element which are classified as the third shape elementmay have a shape provided with four pawl portions, and other engagingelements may be formed to have a shape that the extended portion has ashape extending outward from the engaging head portion.

In the above-mentioned Embodiments 1 to 3, the molded surface fasteneror the primary molded body of the molded surface fastener is formed by adie wheel having the outer side cylindrical body 33 and the inner sidecylindrical body 34 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thereby, the moldedsurface fastener on which eleven kinds of engaging elements havingdifferent position relations of the pawl portions with respect to thestem portion in the length direction are cyclically disposed ismanufactured.

In the present invention, however, by changing the size of thepenetrating hole MD pitch P1 of the penetrating holes 38 provided on theouter side cylindrical body 33 and the size of the grooved channel MDpitch P3 of the grooved channel portions 40 provided on the inner sidecylindrical body 34 appropriately, it is possible to set the leastcommon multiple between the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and the groovedchannel MD pitch P3 at an arbitrary value, or to set the valuecalculated by dividing the least common multiple by the penetrating holeMD pitch P1 at an arbitrary size. Thereby, it becomes possible to changethe number of the kinds of the penetrating holes 38 having differentposition relations of the grooved channel portions 40 (use groovedchannel portions 41) in the outer side cylindrical body 33, or to changethe length of the cycle that the same kind of penetrating holes 38having the same position relation of the grooved channel portions 40(use grooved channel portions 41) are disposed.

As a result, as shown in the third modification example of Embodiment 3in FIG. 32, for example, a molded surface fastener 10 e on which elevenkinds of engaging elements 90 having different position relations ofpawl portions with respect to the engaging head portion from each otherare cyclically disposed along the length direction, and the eleven kindsof engaging elements 90 are disposed at a different placement patternfrom the molded surface fastener 10 c of Embodiment 3 can bemanufactured.

Particularly, in the molded surface fastener 10 e according to the thirdmodification example of Embodiment 3, the eleven kinds of engagingelements 90 having different position relations of the pawl portions arecyclically disposed so that the position relations of the pawl portionswith respect to the engaging head portion are changed step by step alongthe length direction of the molded surface fastener 10 e.

In this case, the first engaging element 90 a, the second engagingelement 90 b and the eleventh engaging element 90 k are formed as thefirst shape element 1 that the pawl portions are disposed on the centerarea as mentioned above of the engaging element 90. The third engagingelement 90 c, the fourth engaging element 90 d, the ninth engagingelement 90 i and the tenth engaging element 90 j are formed as thesecond shape element 2 that the pawl portions are disposed on the firstend part area or the second end part area as mentioned above of theengaging element 90. Further, the fifth engaging element 90 e to theeighth engaging element 90 h are formed as the third shape element 3that four pawl portions (two sets of a right and left pair of the pawlportions) are provided per one engaging element 90. Then, the firstshape element 1, the second shape element 2 and the third shape element3 are disposed at a certain placement pattern at every cycle of theeleven kinds of engaging elements 90 in the length direction.

Further in the present invention, by changing the size of theabove-mentioned penetrating hole MD pitch P1 of the outer sidecylindrical body 33 and the size of the above-mentioned grooved channelMD pitch P3 in the inner side cylindrical body 34, it is also possibleto manufacture a molded surface fastener 10 f that the kinds of theengaging elements 100 having different position relations of the pawlportions are fewer than in the case of Embodiment 3, as the fourthmodification example of Embodiment 3 is shown in FIG. 33, for example.

In the case of the fourth modification example of Embodiment 3, forexample, the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 is set at 600 μm, and thegrooved channel MD pitch P3 is set at 160 μm. Therefore, the leastcommon multiple between the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 (600 μm) andthe grooved channel MD pitch P3 (160 μm) is 2400 μm. The value (thenumber of the penetrating holes forming one cycle, and the number ofengaging elements disposed on one cycle) calculated by dividing theleast common multiple by the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 is “4”.

Therefore, in the molded surface fastener 10 f according to the fourthmodification example of Embodiment 3, four kinds of engaging elements100 having different position relations of the pawl portions withrespect to the engaging head portion are cyclically disposed along thelength direction. In this case, the four kinds of engaging elements 100are serially disposed such that the position relations of the pawlportions with respect to the engaging head portion are changed step bystep along the length direction of the molded surface fastener 10 f.

In this case, the first engaging element 100 a is formed as the firstshape element 1 that the pawl portions are disposed on the center areaas mentioned above of the engaging element 100. The second engagingelement 100 b and the fourth engaging element 100 d are formed as thesecond shape element 2 that the pawl portions are disposed on the firstend part area or the second end part area as mentioned above of theengaging element 100. Further, the third engaging element 100 c isformed as the third element 3 that four pawl portions are provided toone engaging element 100. Then, the first shape element 1, the secondshape element 2 and the third shape element 3 are disposed at constantplacement patterns at every cycle of the engaging element 100 in thelength direction.

In the present invention, it is possible to easily change the positionrelations of the pawl portions disposed on each engaging element withrespect to the stem portion or the engaging head portion, or the shapeand the size of the pawl portions disposed on each engaging element bychanging a dimension, a forming pattern and a shape of the groovedportion (groove channel portion or a grooved depressed portion) groovedon the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 ofthe die wheel 32.

Forming patterns of the grooved channel portions or depressed portionsprovided on the inner side cylindrical body 34 are here explained withreference to some modification examples using the drawings. FIGS. 34 to38 are main part schematic views schematically illustrating the groovedchannel portions or the depressed portions provided on the inner sidecylindrical body 34 in each modification examples, and positionrelations between the grooved channel portions or depressed portions andpenetrating holes 38 provided on the outer side cylindrical body 33.

In the modification example 1 regarding the forming pattern of thegrooved channel portions as shown in FIG. 34, a plurality of groovedchannel portions 43 meandering in a wavy shape along C direction aregrooved at predetermined grooved channel MD pitch P3 on the outerperipheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 a. Using theinner side cylindrical body 34 a according to the modification example 1enables to manufacture the molded surface fastener having a differentshape and a dimension from the above-mentioned Embodiments 1 to 3 and onwhich at least one pawl portion is provided on the engaging element.

In the modification example 2 as shown in FIG. 35, a plurality ofgrooved channel portions 44 are grooved linearly along M direction onthe outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 b. Inthis case, the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 and the grooved channel CDpitch are set so that the size of the least common multiple between thesize of the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 of the penetrating holes 38provided on the outer side cylindrical body 33 and the grooved channelCD pitch P4 of the grooved channel portions 44 in the inner sidecylindrical body 34 b is larger than the penetrating hole CD pitch P2,thereby the molded surface fastener on which a plurality of kinds ofengaging elements having different position relations of the pawlportions with respect to the stem portion or the engaging head portionare cyclically disposed along the width direction of the base portioncan be manufactured.

In the modification example 3 shown in FIG. 36, a plurality of thegrooved channel portions 45 are grooved along an oblique direction at apredetermined angle with respect to C direction or M direction on theouter peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 c. Inthis case, the penetrating hole MD pitch P1 and the grooved channel MDpitch P3 are set so that the size of the least common multiple betweenthe penetrating hold MD pitch P1 of the penetrating hole 38 provided onthe outer side cylindrical body 33 and the grooved channel MD pitch P3of the grooved channel portion 45 in the inner side cylindrical body 34is larger than the penetrating hole MD pitch P1, thereby the moldedsurface fastener on which a plurality of kinds of engaging elementshaving different position relations of the pawl portions with respect tothe stem portion or the engaging head portion from each other arecyclically disposed can be manufactured.

Further, the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 and the grooved channel CDpitch P4 are set so that the size of the least common multiple betweenthe size of the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 of the penetrating hole 38provided on the outer side cylindrical body 33 and the grooved channelCD pitch P4 of the grooved channel portion 45 in the inner sidecylindrical body 34 c is larger than the penetrating hole CD pitch P2,thereby the molded surface fastener on which a plurality of kinds ofengaging elements having different position relations of the pawlportions with respect to the stem portion or the engaging head portionare cyclically disposed along the width direction of the base portioncan be manufactured.

In the modification example 4 shown in FIG. 37, a plurality of the firstgrooved channel portions 46 a are grooved linearly along C direction,and a plurality of the second grooved channel portions 46 b are groovedlinearly along M direction on the outer peripheral surface of the innerside cylindrical body 34 d. That is, in the modification example 4, aplurality of the first grooved channel portions 46 a in C direction anda plurality of the second grooved channel portions 46 b in M directionare provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner sidecylindrical body 34 d in a lattice shape.

In this case, by appropriately setting the size of the penetrating holeMD pitch P1 and the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 of the penetrating hole38 provided on the outer side cylindrical body 33 and the size of thegrooved channel MD pitch P3 of the first grooved channel portion 46 aand the grooved channel CD pitch P4 of the second grooved channelportion 46 b, the molded surface fastener on which a plurality of kindsof engaging elements having different position relations of the pawlportions with respect to the stem portion or the engaging head portionare cyclically disposed along the length direction and/or the widthdirection of the base portion 11 can be manufactured.

Further in the present invention, it is also possible that a pluralityof third grooved channel portions disposed along an oblique direction atan angle of 45° with respect to C direction or M direction and aplurality of fourth grooved channel portions disposed in an obliquedirection at −45° angle with respect to C direction or M direction aregrooved to be further added on the outer peripheral surface of the innerside cylindrical body 34 d of the modification example 4 shown in FIG.37. It is also possible to manufacture the molded surface fastener usingsuch a die wheel having the inner side cylindrical body on which thefirst grooved channel portions 46 a in M direction, the second groovedchannel portions 46 b in C direction, and the third and fourth groovedchannel portions oblique in a diagonal direction in an oppositedirection each other are provided.

In the modification example 5 shown in FIG. 38, a plurality ofsquare-shaped depressed portions 47 are grooved on the outer peripheralsurface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 e so that checkeredpatterns are formed by the depressed portions 47 and the outerperipheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body 34 e. In thiscase, by appropriately setting the size of the penetrating hole MD pitchP1 and the penetrating hole CD pitch P2 of the penetrating holes 38provided on the outer side cylindrical body 33, and the depressedportion MD pitch P3 and the depressed portion CD pitch P4 of thesquare-shaped depressed portions 47, the molded surface fastener onwhich plural kinds of engaging elements having different positionrelations of the pawl portions with respect to the stem portion or theengaging head portion are cyclically disposed along the length directionand/or the width direction of the base portion can be manufactured.

In the present invention, instead of the plurality of square-shapeddepressed portions as in the modification example 5 shown in FIG. 38, itis also possible to grooved a plurality of hexagonal-shaped depressedportions not shown in the drawing so as to form turtle shell patterns onthe outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body.

Further, in the above-mentioned Embodiments 1 to 3, the case isexplained that the molded surface fastener or the primary molded body ofthe molded surface fastener is molded using a molding apparatus 31having the die wheel 32 shown in FIG. 2. However, in the presentinvention, it is also possible to use a molding apparatus having anothershape in molding the molded surface fastener or the primary molded bodyof the molded surface fastener.

As an example of the molding apparatus in another shape, it is possibleto use an apparatus having a die wheel driving rotationally in onedirection, a press wheel disposed with a predetermined interval from thedie wheel and driving rotationally in the opposite direction to the diewheel and an extrusion nozzle discharging molten synthetic resinmaterial between the die wheel and the press wheel. In this case, thedie wheel of the molding apparatus according to the shape has a samestructure to the die wheel 32 explained in the above-mentionedEmbodiment 1 and the like. Also by using the molding apparatus in thisshape, the molded surface fastener explained in the above-mentionedEmbodiments 1 to 3 can be stably manufactured.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 First shape element

2 Second shape element

3 Third shape element

5 First end part area

6 Center area

7 Second end part area

10, 10 a Molded surface fastener

10 b, 10 c Molded surface fastener

10 d, 10 e Molded surface fastener

10 f Molded surface fastener

11 Base portion

20 Engaging element

20 a-20 k First engaging element to eleventh engaging element

21 Stem portion

22 Pawl portion

23 Rib portion

30, 30 a Manufacturing apparatus

31 Molding apparatus

32 Die wheel

34 Outer side cylindrical body

34, 34 a Inner side cylindrical body

34 b, 34 c Inner side cylindrical body

34 d, 34 e Inner side cylindrical body

35 Rotational driving roller

36 Extrusion nozzle

37 Pickup roller

37 a Upper holding roller

37 b Lower holding roller

38 Penetrating hole

39 Heat press apparatus

39 a Upper press roller (calender roller)

39 b Lower press roller (calender roller)

40 Grooved channel portion (grooved portion)

41 Use grooved channel portion

42 Non-use grooved channel portion

43, 44, 45 Grooved channel portion

46 a First grooved channel portion

46 b Second grooved channel portion

47 Depressed portion

50 Engaging element

50 a-50 k First engaging element to eleventh engaging element

51 Stem portion

52 Pawl portion

55 a First engaging element

60 Engaging element

60 a-60 k First engaging element to eleventh engaging element

61 Stem portion

62 Pawl portion

64 Extended portion

70 Engaging element

71 Stem portion

72 Pawl portion

73 Engaging head portion

75 a First engaging element

80 Engaging element

80 a-80 k First engaging element to eleventh engaging element

81 Stem portion

82 Pawl portion

83 Engaging head portion

84 Extended portion

90 Engaging element

90 a-90 k First engaging element to eleventh engaging element

100 Engaging element

100 a-100 d First engaging element to fourth engaging element

P1 Penetrating hole MD pitch

P2 Penetrating hole CD pitch

P3 Grooved channel MD pitch or depressed portion MD pitch

P4 Grooved channel CD pitch or depressed portion CD pitch

1. A molding apparatus having a die wheel driving rotationally in one direction and an extrusion nozzle discharging a molten synthetic resin material toward the die wheel, and used for manufacturing a synthetic resin molded surface fastener on which a plurality of engaging elements stand on an upper surface of a base portion, wherein: the die wheel has a concentric double cylinder structure provided with an outer side cylindrical body and an inner side cylindrical body disposed in close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body, a plurality of penetrating holes penetrating the outer side cylindrical body from an outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface are provided, a plurality of grooved portions are grooved on an outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, more grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are provided than the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body in a certain region in a reference direction when at least one direction is defined as the reference direction, an outer peripheral edge of each penetrating hole on the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body has a part overlapping the grooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body and a part in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, and the grooved portions disposed on the inner side cylindrical body include a use grooved portion disposed to intersect with the penetrating hole in the outer side cylindrical body and into which the molten synthetic resin material can be flowed, and a non-use grooved portion disposed between the penetrating holes adjacent to each other on the outer side cylindrical body and covered by the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body.
 2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a plurality of the penetrating holes are provided on the outer side cylindrical body to have a constant penetrating hole pitch in the reference direction, a plurality of the grooved portions are provided on the inner side cylindrical body to have a constant grooved portion pitch in the reference direction, and a size of the grooved portion pitch is smaller than a size of the penetrating hole pitch.
 3. The molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the penetrating holes disposed in the reference direction of the outer side cylindrical body include at least two kinds of the penetrating holes having different position relations of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating holes from each other, and the same kind of the penetrating holes having the same position relation of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating holes are disposed at a constant cycle along the reference direction.
 4. The molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body and the grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are disposed to have the least common multiple between a size of the penetrating hole pitch and a size of the grooved portion pitch larger than the size of the penetrating hole pitch.
 5. The molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a value calculated by dividing the least common multiple by the size of the penetrating hole pitch is less than
 40. 6. The molding apparatus according claim 2 wherein the size of the grooved portion pitch is smaller than the size of the penetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body in the reference direction.
 7. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the penetrating holes disposed adjacent to each other in the reference direction are provided to have different position relations of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating holes from each other.
 8. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reference direction is a machine direction of the die wheel.
 9. A manufacturing method of a synthetic resin molded surface fastener in which a plurality of engaging elements stand on an upper surface of a base portion wherein: the method includes molding the synthetic resin molded surface fastener using a molding apparatus having a die wheel driving rotationally in one direction and an extrusion nozzle discharging a molten synthetic resin material toward the die wheel, wherein the die wheel has a concentric double cylinder structure provided with an outer side cylindrical body and an inner side cylindrical body disposed in close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body, wherein the method including using the die wheel in which a plurality of penetrating holes penetrating the outer side cylindrical body from an outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface are provided, a plurality of grooved portions are grooved on an outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, more grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are provided than the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body in a certain region in a reference direction when at least one direction is defined as the reference direction, an outer peripheral edge of each penetrating hole on the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body has a part overlapping the grooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body and a part in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, and the grooved portions disposed on the inner side cylindrical body include a use grooved portion disposed to intersect with the penetrating hole on the outer side cylindrical body and into which the molten synthetic resin material can be flowed, and a non-use grooved portion disposed between the penetrating holes adjacent to each other on the outer side cylindrical body and covered by the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body.
 10. A manufacturing method of a molded surface fastener by conducting a primary molding step molding a primary molded body in which a plurality of provisional elements stand on an upper surface of a base portion using a molding apparatus having a die wheel driving rotationally in one direction and an extrusion nozzle discharging a molten synthetic resin material toward the die wheel, wherein the die wheel has a concentric double cylinder structure provided with an outer side cylindrical body and an inner side cylindrical body disposed in close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body, and a secondary molding step heating and compressing a part of each provisional element of the primary molded body from above, wherein: the method including using the die wheel in which a plurality of penetrating holes penetrating the outer side cylindrical body from an outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface are provided, a plurality of grooved portions are grooved on an outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, more grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are provided than the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body in a certain region in a reference direction when at least one direction is defined as the reference direction, an outer peripheral edge of each penetrating hole on the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body has a part overlapping the grooved portion of the inner side cylindrical body and a part in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner side cylindrical body, and the grooved portions disposed on the inner side cylindrical body include a use grooved portion disposed to intersect with the penetrating hole in the outer side cylindrical body and into which the molten synthetic resin material can be flowed, and a non-use grooved portion disposed between the penetrating holes adjacent to each other on the outer side cylindrical body and covered by the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body.
 11. The manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according to claim 9 including using the die wheel in which a plurality of the penetrating holes are provided on the outer side cylindrical body to have a constant penetrating hole pitch in the reference direction, a plurality of the grooved portions are provided on the inner side cylindrical body to have a constant grooved portion pitch in the reference direction, and a size of the grooved portion pitch is smaller than a size of the penetrating hole pitch.
 12. The manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according to claim 9 including using the die wheel in which the penetrating holes disposed in the reference direction of the outer side cylindrical body include at least two kinds of the penetrating holes having different position relations of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating hole from each other, and the same kind of the penetrating holes having the same position relation of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating hole are disposed at a constant cycle along the reference direction.
 13. The manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according to claim 9 including using the die wheel in which the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body and the grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are disposed to have the least common multiple between a size of the penetrating hole pitch and a size of the grooved portion pitch larger than the size of the penetrating hole pitch.
 14. A synthetic resin molded surface fastener having a plate-shaped base portion and a plurality of engaging elements standing on an upper surface of the base portion wherein: the engaging elements are disposed to have a constant pitch along a reference direction when at least one direction is defined as the reference direction, the engaging element has a stem portion standing up from the upper surface of the base portion and at least one pawl portion disposed at a top end part of the engaging element and protruded outward from an upper end outer peripheral edge of the stem portion in a plan view of the engaging element or an extended portion extending outward from the upper end outer peripheral edge of the stem portion in the plan view, a plurality of the engaging elements disposed along the reference direction include at least two kinds of the engaging elements having different shapes in the plan view of the engaging element from each other, and the same kind of the engaging elements having the same shape in the plan view of the engaging element are disposed at a constant cycle along the reference direction.
 15. A synthetic resin molded surface fastener having a flat plate-shaped base portion and a plurality of engaging elements standing on an upper surface of the base portion wherein: the engaging elements are disposed to have a constant pitch along a reference direction when at least one direction is defined as the reference direction, the engaging element has a stem portion standing up from the base portion, an engaging head portion bulging outward from an upper end outer peripheral part of the stem portion and formed integrally to the stem portion, and at least one pawl portion protruded outward from an outer peripheral edge part of the engaging head portion or an extended portion extending outward from the outer peripheral edge part of the engaging head portion, a plurality of the engaging elements disposed along the reference direction include at least two kinds of the engaging elements having different shapes from each other in a plan view of the engaging element, and the same kind of the engaging elements having the same shape in the plan view of the engaging element are disposed at a constant cycle along the reference direction.
 16. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein the at least one engaging elements having the at least one pawl portion is disposed in the constant cycle in the reference direction.
 17. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein the number of engaging elements forming the cycle in the reference direction is less than
 40. 18. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein the adjacent engaging elements in the reference direction in at least a part of the engaging elements are formed to have different shapes in a plan view of the engaging element.
 19. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein, when each engaging element is viewed to divide into a first end part area including an end part on one side in the reference direction, a center area including a center part in the reference direction and a second end part area including an end part on the other side in the reference direction in a plan view of the engaging element, the engaging element has a first shape element that two of the pawl portions are disposed on the center area per one engaging element, a second shape element that two of the pawl portions are disposed on the first end part area or the second end part area per one engaging element, and a third shape element that four of the pawl portions or the extended portion are disposed per one engaging element, and the first shape element, the second shape element and the third shape element are disposed at a predetermined placement pattern in each of the cycle.
 20. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein a shape of the engaging element in a plan view is changed step by step along the reference direction.
 21. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein the reference direction is a length direction of the base portion.
 22. The molded surface fastener according to claim 14 wherein-the same kind of the engaging elements having the same shape in a plan view of the engaging element are disposed along a direction perpendicular to the reference direction.
 23. The manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according to claim 10 including using the die wheel in which a plurality of the penetrating holes are provided on the outer side cylindrical body to have a constant penetrating hole pitch in the reference direction, a plurality of the grooved portions are provided on the inner side cylindrical body to have a constant grooved portion pitch in the reference direction, and a size of the grooved portion pitch is smaller than a size of the penetrating hole pitch.
 24. The manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according to claim 10 including using the die wheel in which the penetrating holes disposed in the reference direction of the outer side cylindrical body include at least two kinds of the penetrating holes having different position relations of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating hole from each other, and the same kind of the penetrating holes having the same position relation of the use grooved portions with respect to the penetrating hole are disposed at a constant cycle along the reference direction.
 25. The manufacturing method of the molded surface fastener according to claim 10 including using the die wheel in which the penetrating holes of the outer side cylindrical body and the grooved portions of the inner side cylindrical body are disposed to have the least common multiple between a size of the penetrating hole pitch and a size of the grooved portion pitch larger than the size of the penetrating hole pitch.
 26. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein the at least one engaging elements having the at least one pawl portion is disposed in the constant cycle in the reference direction.
 27. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein the number of engaging elements forming the cycle in the reference direction is less than
 40. 28. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein the adjacent engaging elements in the reference direction in at least a part of the engaging elements are formed to have different shapes in a plan view of the engaging element.
 29. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein, when each engaging element is viewed to divide into a first end part area including an end part on one side in the reference direction, a center area including a center part in the reference direction and a second end part area including an end part on the other side in the reference direction in a plan view of the engaging element, the engaging element has a first shape element that two of the pawl portions are disposed on the center area per one engaging element, a second shape element that two of the pawl portions are disposed on the first end part area or the second end part area per one engaging element, and a third shape element that four of the pawl portions or the extended portion are disposed per one engaging element, and the first shape element, the second shape element and the third shape element are disposed at a predetermined placement pattern in each of the cycle.
 30. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein a shape of the engaging element in a plan view is changed step by step along the reference direction.
 31. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein the reference direction is a length direction of the base portion.
 32. The molded surface fastener according to claim 15 wherein the same kind of the engaging elements having the same shape in a plan view of the engaging element are disposed along a direction perpendicular to the reference direction. 